Proposal
by Summer-Lightning
Summary: Lucina had long forgotten Robin's promise to find a way to make her stay in Ylisstol and with Chrom without arousing much suspicion. Robin however didn't. Rated T for the same sex marriage that will follow in later chapters. f!Robin x Lucina
1. Proposal

**A/N:** When I first played through the Hot Spring Scramble DLC and read Lucina's and the Avatar's conversation my first thought was "MARRY HER" and so I set off to write down this exact scenario.  
It's already stated in the summary, but just in case someone misread: This is a female Robin/Lucina fanfiction.

Things the reader should know before starting to read:  
I headcanon the future children would stay for an extended amount of time with their parents after the game's final chapter before setting off on their journeys, as described by the ending. It is also not stated when the Avatar reappeared on that field after the "sacrifice yourself" end. I won't mention anything either, since it could have been anything between a couple of days and years. Just know that this story follows the sacrifice yourself end and that the kids haven't left yet. I leave it up to the reader to imagine how much time has passed.

The pairings for the future children's parents are based on my safe file. I will avoid mentioning them if I can so that everyone can imagine them to their liking, but there are two that will be made mention of: Chrom/Sumia and Lissa/Libra.

Other than that: Enjoy yourself!

* * *

 _ **Proposal**_

Lucina stood at the side of her crib and watched her infant self with gentle blue eyes.

Before she came to the past, she had barely been able to remember how her nursery had looked like and it felt strange being inside the room, even though she had visited it more than just a couple of times after the battle with Grima.

The day came to an end. Orange light shimmered through the window as the sun slowly set on the far off horizon.

Carefully, Lucina stretched her hand out and bent over the crib's latticework to caress her younger self's hair. Oh, how peaceful she slept and Lucina wouldn't have it any other way. The war was over and Grima dead. The babe would grow up without the horrors of war and most importantly with both her parents at her side. She and many other children wouldn't have to experience what it meant to get their parents taken away early by the cruel hand of death.

"Yours will be a happy future." She whispered and her heart was filled with happiness and melancholy alike. Right before touching baby Lucina's hair she hesitated, as the child seemed so content she was afraid to wake her up.

"This is farewell." Lucina said softly, tears forming in her eyes and very gently touched the baby's head with her fingers. It was such a strange feeling, to know that this child would grow up to a slightly different version than the woman she was now. They were the same and yet not.

Part of her was envious that she couldn't have the life her present self would have, that she couldn't enjoy staying with her family that she had longed so many times to meet again during the lonely nights in between battles in the future.

But it was better that way. She had vowed to change the future and that was what she had done. Her goal had been attained, her mission completed. There was nothing left for her to do here. Lingering in the castle for an extended period of time would raise questions and cause only more problems down the road.

Lucina took a deep breath and let go of the baby. She cast a last glance out of the window and got lost for a moment in the rose colored clouds and the changing color of the sky.

When she felt ready to leave, she turned around and froze when she saw a familiar figure standing in front of the door.

"Robin." Lucina had been so lost in her thoughts and emotions that she didn't notice how the tactician had entered the room.

Robin met her gaze silently, her brown eyes ever so steady and calculating; a gaze Lucina had come to know whenever the other woman had weighed their chances in battle.

"Why are you here?" Lucina asked. This wasn't exactly what she had wondered, however. Her actual question was how Robin had known that she would be here, at this hour, on this particular day. But Lucina feared that she already knew that.

"Because your last goodbye had felt too much like a farewell." Robin answered.

Her gaze wandered to the baby inside the crib and then back to Lucina, who had grown tense. "Why do you want to leave?" She asked and the tone of her voice indicated that she knew exactly what Lucina had been about to do.

A small twitch of her fingers gave away Lucina's uneasiness towards the question.  
"I've told you long before, didn't I? I do not belong in this time. A woman clinging to the Exalt's side, but who is neither wife nor daughter? The people would grow suspicious. My family wouldn't be able to live in peace."

Of course Robin remembered. How could she ever forget those words exchanged amidst steam and stone?

" _There is no guarantee that I'll be able to return to the future once peace is won. If I'm to live out my days in this era, I can't allow myself to linger at my father's side. It would only raise questions. Cause confusion... No, it's best I lived in shadow."_

"And I told you that I would think of something. Chrom and Sumia want you to stay here – and I do too."

" _I'll fix it. Somehow. I'll think of something. Some way that you can stay with Chrom without arousing any strange suspicion. What better test of a tactician's skill than concocting a plan to convince a nation?"_ For Robin it was as if she had spoken those words just yesterday.

Lucina frowned. "I know, but…"

"Why do you so desperately seek to live in the shadows of this world?" Robin asked sternly, her hands clenched underneath the long sleeves of her black coat.

"I don't. I just believe it's for the better if I don't stay here."

"The heck you do!" Robin suddenly shouted.

Lucina startled and they both heard the babe stir in her sleep.

Robin lowered her voice when she continued: "Don't try to play the martyr, Lucina. You are allowed to stay here and be by your parent's side. You helped save this very world – your world. It's not some alternate dimension where things went entirely differently and where you may even have had another mother. This child…" She pointed at the cradle. "…would have grown up to be the very person standing right in front of me, if you hadn't traveled back in time to fight against the fell dragon himself."

"But don't you see that this is the problem? There can't be two of us."

"Says _who_? If you two weren't supposed to exist at the same time, then why would it even be possible to time travel in the first place?" Robin's gaze softened now, her voice only a whisper. "You wanted to see them again… saved their lives… You went through unimaginable pain and fear and _lived_. And against the odds we achieved the impossible… You deserve to be here."

Her last sentence was merely an aspiration, yet Lucina heard every word clearly. Her expression was stoic, her lips pressed together as a thin line. Her heart started beating faster. Robin's words made her happy, but also caused a lot of conflict inside her.  
There was a pain in her heart, from years back when her parents had died. She had thought it impossible to ever see them again and even when she did so in the past, as their younger selves, she had still always had the feeling that there had to be a secret prize to be paid. Staying here in a peaceful time and catch up on what she had lost? It had to be too good to be true. Surely, something horrible was bound to happen if she stayed.

"I will just cause you grief." The blue haired princess replied with a heavy heart.

Robin shook her head. "You believe everything to be too good to be true, don't you?" When Lucina winced, as if she had just read her mind, Robin knew that she was right.

"Even if I didn't, there would still be the problem of me being an outsider." Lucina averted her gaze. Her resolution to leave had weakened. It would be difficult to pursue her initial plan if she continued to further look into Robin's eyes.

There was a moment of silence.

Robin inhaled deeply. She straightened her posture and raised her head confidently. She spoke the next words loud and clearly, in a tone so serious that Lucina only knew it from their times on the battlefield:

"Marry me."

Lucina was caught off-guard. The request echoed three times in her mind before she realized what Robin had actually said. She felt her face grow warm.

"What?"

"Think about it: I'm Chrom's chief advisor and his right hand – and I live in the palace since I had nowhere to return to. If you were to be my wife, then it wouldn't be strange for you at all to wander about the castle grounds or see him on a regular basis." Robin explained matter-of-factly. Her cheeks had turned red, but nothing else in her voice and posture hinted on any kind of embarrassment she may have felt.

Lucina was speechless. The thought of marriage had thrown her out of balance. Her mind was in disarray for more than one reason now.  
"How can you… I-isn't there anyone else you'd rather marry?" She asked and dared to look at the other woman again.

"It would be a marriage of convenience. You wouldn't need to follow any of the… marital duties." Robin explained. Despite having asked for Lucina's hand in marriage in a rather bold manner a few moments ago, she had now her gaze averted to the side. "And should you find someone you really love later on then you could just leave me. I wouldn't object."

A heavy breath escaped Lucina's lips. That sure was a lot to take in.

"What do you say?" Robin inquired.

"Gods, this is… madness." Disbelief reflected on her gaze. "Robin, are you sure you want to go to the lengths of doing that?" She needed to make sure.

This plan was crazy, just crazy. But the worst part was that it actually sounded like it could work out.

Robin made a few steps forward until she stood right in front of her. "Lucina…" She took the princess's hands in hers and squeezed them tightly. "I don't know anyone else who deserves happiness more than you do." She answered, this time looking directly into Lucina's eyes again.

Her gaze was sincere. Robin's mind was made up, that was for sure. She cared so much about her, Lucina realized, that she couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing these words. "Why, Robin, that almost sounds like a confession of love."

Uneasiness showed on the other woman's face for a split second.  
"It may as well be." Robin said and let go of her hands and made a step back. "Lucina, I'll be honest: I have very deep feelings for you, but I still haven't figured out of what nature they are. Is it deep friendship or love? I don't know." She confessed.

The smile faded from Lucina's face. Instead a faint blush showed on her cheeks. "That's why you wouldn't mind marrying me…" She murmured.

"Please, I ask of you to seriously consider everything I have said." Robin requested. "I will give you some time to think about it. Just… don't leave without giving me a proper answer." She was back at the door now, her right hand on the handle. "Can you promise me at least that?"

Lucina, still taken aback, could barely raise her voice. Instead she nodded.

* * *

Lucina didn't leave her room after that. Her mind and heart had been racing, as she recalled everything that Robin had said to her.

Don't play the martyr – was it true? Was she so desperate to cling onto unhappiness? She found it hard to believe that she deserved to stay without consequences. But maybe it was the harsh future that had shaped her that spoke those doubts. Maybe Robin was right and they could figure this out.

And maybe…Robin was in love with her?

She felt herself grow nervous at the thought again. This was not making anything easier. Even if the plan would succeed and Lucina agreed to marry her, what would happen further down the road? Would Robin really be okay with it, if Lucina decided to leave someday with someone else? Wouldn't it break her heart? Could she really take responsibility for that?

As it was typical for her, the tactician had given her an awful lot to think about. Lucina groaned.

Lucina pondered over those and many other questions, without noticing that night had long fallen upon Ylisstol. She had sat down next to her crib now, still thinking, absent-mindedly looking at the spot on the ground that was illuminated by the moonlight that fell through the window.

Eventually she heard someone open the door very carefully and looked up to see her mother entering. She was wearing her night gown and looked very sleepy.

"Lucina." Sumia's lips formed a soft smile when she noticed her grown-up daughter in the dark. "I'm so glad to see you. I feared you were long gone by now." She whispered.

Lucina looked up, needing a moment to recognize her in her daze.  
"Mother…" She quickly averted her gaze again. "Why did you think I would be gone?" So Robin hadn't been the only one who noticed?

Sumia stepped towards the cradle to see if her baby was sleeping well, while she remembered the last time she had seen her grown up daughter today: She had seen shadows of sadness in Lucina's eyes while she had said her goodbyes for the day to them. Lucina would always hug her parents after that, but this time the embrace had been a bit tighter than usual, a fleeting moment too long in which Lucina had lingered in her mother's warmth as if she had wanted to take a piece of her mother with her.

"I had a feeling." She answered while stroking her infant daughter.

"Had I been so obvious?"

"Lucina, dear, I'm your mother. I will always notice when something is off." Sumia gently reprimanded her and let go of the baby. She knelt down afterwards, to meet that very daughter on eye level. "So, what is wrong? You seem troubled."

"Mother, I…" Lucina didn't know where to start. Should she tell her about Robin's proposal? Ask her if it was really alright to stay? If she loved her as much as her infant daughter that she would actually see growing up into a fine woman?  
But she knew Sumia's answers to those questions already: Do what will make you happy, yes and of course I do. It was pointless to ask the same thing over and over again. She needed to figure this out on her own anyway. After all she would have to live with whatever decision she'd make.

"Mother, what would you think about a marriage between two women?"

Sumia stared at her with wide brown eyes. From all the questions she would have expected to come out of her daughter's mouth this had definitely been not one of them.

"I – I'm not sure. Are you asking if that's possible? If so, then it would be best to consult Libra." She answered abashed. "Why, i-is there someone on your mind? Know that I'd love you no matter what!"

Lucina blushed, not sure what she had expected. The unconditional support of her mother made her happy every time anew, but she hadn't intended to ask because of that.

"Don't you think it's weird?"

Sumia furrowed her brows as she thought about it again. "Why? I think a woman can love another woman just the same as a man could. To be honest, I love the idea of love being so strong that it transcends gender." She smiled bashfully. "And… to tell the truth, I had a crush on Cordelia in my early teen years."

Lucina stared surprised at her mother's face, who in turn offered an encouraging and warm smile. She hadn't known about this side of her mother, but the fact that she had opened up to her about something like that made her feel very special.  
She was so glad that they were able to talk about these kinds of things and happier yet, that this was another mother-daughter experience she was able to share with her.

Her heart filled with joy and she realized that she didn't want those moments to end. She wanted to make more experiences with her family, get to know them even better and collect happy memories outside of battle and war – things she had thought to be impossible for the longest while.

She had told herself long ago that she would be content with the memories she had already made, with the second chance that Naga had given her when she had sent her back in time, but now she realized that she didn't want those things to ever end.

Was it selfish to think like that?

Everyone had been telling her that she deserved to be here, that it was okay and she had not believed it to be this easy.

But maybe, just maybe this once things were just like they seemed.

"Lucina, dear? Why are you crying?" Sumia suddenly asked.

The question snapped her out of her thoughts. "Crying?" She touched her right cheek and indeed, tears had started to stream down her face. Lucina tried to smile, the tears falling even more now.

"I-it's nothing…" Her voice was stifled. "I'm… I'm just happy – it's alright to be after all, isn't it?" She asked while trying with moderate success to wipe the tears away with both hands.

"Oh, Lucina…" Seeing her grown up daughter like that brought Sumia on the verge of tears too. Lucina had been so strong all the time and still so desperately tried to be, it pained Sumia to see her struggle like that. She leaned forward, wrapping her daughter in a tight embrace.

"Of course you are, dear. Of course you are." She assured her and felt how her daughter held on even tighter than the last time they had hugged.

Lucina burrowed her head in her mother's shoulder and started to sob.

* * *

Robin was leaning over the handrail of her room's balcony and watched the people of the town go about their busy morning routines. Some were grocery shopping at the market, while others were diligently pursuing their craft. She saw mothers with their children, older kids running through the streets playing tag and merchants trying to sell their goods.

It was uplifting to see the people they had saved enjoying their lives and to catch a glimpse of those ordinary everyday moments. She rather saw children fall down and scrap their knees and getting reprimanded by their mothers for running too fast, instead of bending over their dead parents' bloodied bodies and crying out a different kind of pain.

She tried to watch out for Chrom, knowing that he would visit the market soon to blend in with the people, as had his older sister done during her reign.

Robin inhaled deeply. Oh, how much she enjoyed the fresh morning wind. It was as if it brought the promise of a wonderful new day.

"Robin, may I have a word with you?" Someone behind her asked.

She turned her head around to meet Lucina with a small smile. Robin immediately knew that the woman behind her had made a final decision. The air around Lucina seemed to have changed, but Robin felt that it was a good change.

"You may."

Lucina nodded and took the place on the handrail next to her. Watching the people go on about their lives from far above gave her a sense of accomplishment. It was so different than seeing the streets crawl with Risen and dead.

"I wish to live a happy life." She said, her eyes following the trail of people in the distance.

"I wish the same." Robin responded and turned her head towards the direction of the market again.

"If I left, I don't think I would ever stop thinking about how things could have been." Lucina inhaled deeply. "I'm happy when I'm with my family; happy to talk to mother and father and be able to have them around me and guide me." She paused, taking the time to think about the talks she had had with Robin and her mother just yesterday. "I think I spent too much time telling myself that second chances didn't exist and that this world wasn't for me." She finally confessed.

Robin listened intently, while pretending to still watch the people. She had a feeling she knew where this was going, but tried to stay calm.

Suddenly, Lucina's left hand was on her right.

"Robin… you are a very dear friend to me. Being able to meet you was one of the greatest gifts this era has bestowed me with." She squeezed her hand a little. "Your well-being is as important to me as mine is to you, that's why I will have to ask you again: Would it really be alright for you if we married, just for the sake of me being able to live in Ylisstol castle?"

In response to Lucina's hand squeeze Robin intertwined their fingers and held her hand gently, but also firmly. She had thought a lot about her plan to help Lucina stay, ever since they had talked about it during their visit in the hot springs.

Marriage had been the first thing that had come to her mind, but she hadn't taken it seriously and had put it aside with a chuckle. But time and time again she had found herself developing the idea further and when she realized for the first time that this could work out, she had been in for some serious soul-searching. Why _had_ that been her first thought in the first place?

She had tried to observe her feelings and actions towards Lucina, to figure out how she really felt for her, but to no avail. The only thing Robin knew was that she wouldn't mind, should she have to spend the rest of her life with her.

"Yes." She answered resolutely.

"In that case…" Lucina turned around to face her and smiled. "I accept your proposal."

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope you enjoyed it. This is the first part of the deal, next follow two chapters with arrangements (how will Chrom and Lissa react to the news? What about rings etc.) and the last part will be the wedding itself.

I just really love this ship but I haven't been able to find much fanfiction about them. Be the change you want to see, I guess, haha. I have a couple more stories with them on my hard drive but I don't feel comfortable uploading them yet. But if anyone is interested I will gladly do so.

Constructive criticism and other opinions are greatly welcomed :)


	2. Arrangements: Telling The Family

_**A/N:**_ With this the second part of the story begins. I intend to write this piece as a series of oneshots that are closely connected to each other and divided in three major parts: The proposal, which I already covered, the arrangements (which will be three chapters) and lastly the wedding itself. There will always be a small time skip in between the chapters, but don't worry I intend to build their relationship slowly. I just hope it comes out alright even though this will be more episodic than a normal story.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited the story! It really means a lot to me and to show my appreciation I will respond to your reviews at the beginning of each chapter:

JusKidding: You are my first reviewer and I'm glad you liked it! Lucina does have some doubts about the whole thing, which will be brought up in this chapter.

Furycorn: I love this ship too, so I knew I had to write for it at one point. I hope you will keep enjoying this until the end!

squish13: Haha, nice. Tumblr made me ship these two in the first place so I thought it fitting to at least put the link on there. (Tho I was lowkey shipping them when I bought Smash Bros. and hadn't played Awakening yet, haha.)

Cyndrodos: Thank you and don't worry! I have the whole arrangement part already written out, so there will definitely be more.

She Who Is Woe: Yeah, I feel you. Their supports were unsatisfying, but their A support is actualy a solid base for at least a close friendship. And based on their conversation in the hot spring scramble dlc and Lucina's quote during the final chapter ('you earned my love and trust') it is safe to say that their relationship developed off-screen. Still, I will try building their relatonship slowly, I won't have them all over each other immediately don't worry.

Btw, I defeated Grima with Robin and Lucina paired up in my save file (and tbh I found it quite fitting for her to engage Grima in battle) and this event will be referenced in this chapter.

* * *

 _ **Arrangement**_

It was late afternoon. Chrom sat in his study and was reading through some paperworks when somebody suddenly knocked on the wooden door. He was too absorbed in his thoughts to perceive the noise though.

Only when the knocking got louder and he heard his own name, did he look up from the papers.

"Chrom?"

He recognized the voice immediately.

"Robin, come in." He invited her with a smile. Seeing his best friend was always a good excuse to back away from unpleasant work. Or maybe, unpleasant was not the right word, he thought. It was just that he had always felt more comfortable taking care of military duties. Even though quite some time had passed since Grima's defeat he felt as if he still hadn't gotten used to being an Exalt. Despite the fact that he had been at it for the two years after the Ylisstol-Plegia war his duties somehow seemed completely different from before.

Maybe it was himself who had changed. Back then he had to be strong for his people and Lissa and take the position as the head of state and overcome his grief for the apparent death of his older sister Emmeryn. Now with Emm and Ylisse safe the tension had fallen from his shoulders and he could worry about all the other things be they little or not.

The heavy door opened with a creak and Chrom was surprised to not only see Robin enter, but also his grown up daughter from the future. It was not unusual for them to spent time together, but both of them seeking him out during his working hours usually meant that something was going on. Judging by their uneasy and diffident steps, Chrom felt that today was not an exception either.  
He shifted his chair so that he could see them without bending his neck and leaned back.

"What can I do for the two of you?"

Robin's eyes gazed uncertainly at Lucina, who just nodded in support.  
"Just tell him, we will explain ourselves after that." She whispered in the tactician's ear.

"… Right." Robin responded slowly. Lucina took her hand, which calmed her down a bit and she took a deep breath. Both directed their gazes at him and he couldn't fathom why in the world they looked so nervous.  
Chrom was about to comment their strange behavior, but Robin beat him to it:

"Chrom, I am herby asking you for your daughter's hand in marriage." She announced and there was a moment of silence.

Chrom's dumbfounded expression was everything Robin could have ever asked for, when she had first imagined breaking the news to him. She had intended to tease him a bit about it, to wrap it up like a joke, but that was when she had first gotten the idea and by now things had changed. She was serious about this, for more than one reason and she knew exactly what thoughts must have passed Chrom's mind when he had heard her proposal and saw her holding hands with Lucina.

Lucina also knew what impression they gave, so while Chrom was busy processing this bit of information, she and Robin were equally busy with blushing and preparing explanations in their minds.

"You WHAT?" He finally said and rose from his chair. "Robin, Lucina – are you serious about this?"

"Yes." Robin simply stated.

Chrom stared incredulously between the two of them until his eyes stopped at their clasped together hands.  
"I – I had no idea you harbored such feelings for each other…" His expression was troubled. Obviously he struggled to stay calm and collected, despite the fact that he had no idea how to take this.  
"Lucina, why didn't you tell me that you… your preferences lay elsewhere?"

His daughter blushed even more now. "F-father, please listen to us, i-it's not exactly how it looks like." She looked to Robin for help.

Chrom also directed his eyes towards his tactician. "I'm listening. Robin, I swear to the gods if this is one of your pranks, then…"

"No, not at all!" Robin interrupted him. "Look, if Lucina is to stay here for the rest of her life, then she needs a cover. Until now, she has stayed mostly inside the castle's walls and has refrained from being by your side in public in order not to rouse any suspicion." She began to explain.

Chrom nodded. "Yeah, that was your suggestion – until you found another way." He remembered. It was one of the first issues Robin had wanted to take care of after they had reunited again.

"Father… the truth is that I had never intended to stay." Lucina confessed. She let go of Robin's hand and approached him. "I wanted to disappear and let you live your lives without me, as it should have been."

"Lucina…" Chrom placed his hands on her shoulders and looked seriously concerned. "But why? I told you that I'd love to have you here."

She looked into his eyes, same deep blue color as hers and smiled sadly. "I didn't want to cause you any trouble."

Her sad and guilty expression almost broke his heart. Chrom embraced her tightly. "Silly girl, I wouldn't mind any troubles if that meant you could stay by my side."

His daughter leaned onto him and closed her eyes. "I know." She said. Her father's words only strengthened her resolve to put Robin's plan into action.

Chrom stroked his daughter's back gently, before looking at Robin again. "And your marriage?"

"Well, if we introduce Lucina to the people as my wife and as skilled and wise fighter who helped us battle Grima, then surely they'd get why she would be by your side during war councils and visits to other nations. She'd have as much a place on your side as me." Robin started to explain and Chrom couldn't help but grin when he saw her adopting the same mannerisms as she always had when she had explained their strategies to the shepherds during war. He had teased her a lot because of a particular frown that always showed up between her eyes whenever she had laid down her plans.

"And being my wife in particular would give her two advantages: First, we are both women, so they wouldn't suspect her trying to seduce you if they saw you often together and second, being the wife of Ylisse's top tactician would probably prompt a lot of them to think that she is just as quick witted, which supports the notion of her attending your businesses for exactly this purpose: Just business."

Chrom couldn't help but smile like an excited little child. "This idea is great! Robin you are a genius!" Thinking quickly, something else came into his mind. He let go of Lucina, to look directly into her eyes. "And you are fine with pretending to be a couple?"

She looked back at Robin who smiled relieved at her with still red cheeks.

"Yes." She said and remembered all the fights they had been through. Robin had been by her side as they had engaged Grima together, while Chrom and the shepherds had had their backs and kept the Risen from disrupting them. "This is just another battle that we will fight together." She had definitely been through worse.

"A very different kind of battle." Robin commented abashed. "But probably nothing we can't handle. We slayed Grima together, so this will work out too."

Chrom nodded.

"Alright then, Robin." He approached her and extended his hand. "I'll allow you to marry my daughter." He said in a semi-formal manner and with a smile.

Robin sighed with relief and took it. That certainly went better than she had imagined. Part of her had expected that Chrom wouldn't give in so easily and play the overprotective dad and ask for another way – but maybe that worry ceased to apply since she wasn't a man.

She felt the pressure on her hand rise and Chrom leaned towards her with a menacing glint in his eyes.

"Break her heart and you are in for a bad time." He whispered.

Robin gulped.

Okay, maybe she should still be careful with that topic around him…

"D-don't worry, she is still free to do whatever she wants. No strings attached for my part." She assured him, though at the back of her mind she thought with some irony that maybe it was Robin herself who needed to be careful to not get her heart broken.

* * *

Lissa was the next in line to be told the good news. She had settled together with Libra in one of Yilisstol's outer boroughs after the war and together with some financial aid from Chrom and Maribelle they had built an orphanage and taken in children who had lost their families during the war.

"It's my first time visiting aunt Lissa here." Lucina noticed when they stood in front of the building. It was quite the big house, made of stone and with a red-brick rooftop. The walls were painted white and next to the wooden entrance door the word "orphanage" was painted in filigreed brown letters which Robin recognized as Libra's handwriting.

"Same here. I was busy with helping Chrom restore the country and didn't have the time to visit anyone outside the castle grounds."  
Robin raised a fist to knock on the wooden door. This wasn't necessary though, since it was pushed open from the inside to release a swarm of little kids who ran laughing and screaming past the pair.

"How dare you mock your hero like that? Get back here you rascals!" Suddenly, Lucina's cousin Owain stood at the door loaded with another bunch of kids who hung at his arms and legs and neck.

"Run! We will hold him off for you!" One little boy shouted at his peers who were already far away.

"Why you…!" Owain took the boy from his leg and put him in a headlock, which was quite the feat considering that he had additional weight in the shape of other children hanging around his arms. Lucina and Robin both saw though that he just played pretend and didn't seriously intend to harm the kid.

"Um, good morning?" Robin greeted him bewilderedly.

Only then he seemed to notice the guests standing in front of him. He paused what he was doing and looked at them, a behavior that the children mirrored.

"Who are they?" A little girl who had hung on his neck asked.

Owain released the boy from his grip and the children let go of him now that their play had been interrupted.

"Lucina! Robin! It feels like an eternity since we last met!" He went in for what Lucina had thought was a hug, but instead he lifted her of her feet and made a whirl.

"O-Owain!" Lucina clung onto him in order to not fall down, but seeing him happy and excited made her happy too and she couldn't help but laugh when he spun her around.

"It's good to see you." She said with a smile when he put her on the ground again.

"It's good to see you, too." He greeted her and shook Robin's hand.

"Owaaaain, who are these guys?" The boy who had clung onto him before asked.

"Good ol' friends of mine and now shoo, go play with your companions." He waved the five kids away, who reacted differently – from pouting to curiosity everything was there – but they obeyed and followed their friends towards a nearby field.

Robin watched the little ones leave and couldn't help but smile. They seemed content and as if they were having loads of fun, despite being orphans. She was glad to see that the scars of war seemed to be mending even among the young ones.

Owain invited them inside and Lissa, having overheard the commotion, came to the entrance hall to see what was going on. She was wearing an apron and held a wet plate in one hand and a towel in the other.

"Robin! Lucina!" She exclaimed and quickly returned to one of the rooms, which Robin assumed was the kitchen.

They followed her and saw Lissa placing her items by the sink while struggling to quickly take her apron off.

"Long time no see!" She greeted them after putting the cloth at the back of a chair. She hugged her niece and Robin and watched the two expectantly. "What brings the two of you here? And how is Chrom doing?"

"Chrom is fine, but he complains occasionally about how he'd rather just take care only of military duties." Robin answered. "You know, the usual. As for why we are here…" She looked around in search for Lissa's husband. "We wanted to ask Libra something. Is he around?"

"He is running a few errands in town." Lissa's eyes searched for a clock. "But he should return for lunch. Do you want to stay for lunch, too? I was about to start cooking."

"Yes, we'd love to." Lucina answered. "Let me help you with the preparations, Aunt Lissa."

Robin nodded in agreement. "Shall I help too?"

"That would be wonderful. Making food for eleven children is quite the work. Owain, can you look after little Kristi?" She asked her son.

The blond nodded dutifully. "Of course." He snatched a bottle of milk his mother had prepared in advance and left the kitchen to look after the baby.

"Heh, Owain seems to help out a lot." Lucina noticed.

"Yes, he is such a big help and surprisingly good with the kids." Lissa agreed.

"Is it hard to take care of so many at once?" Robin asked. Considering Owain's usual demeanor she had no problems imaging him getting along with the little ones, especially when she remembered how he had greeted them at the door.

Lissa shrugged. "Every day is an adventure, that's for sure. But I wouldn't have it any other way." She smiled and took two additional aprons from the hooks behind the kitchen door and handed them to her visitors. "The hardest part is when the kids wake up at night and have nightmares or start to misbehave when they hurt. You know, when they miss their parents." She added while pulling out a couple of knives from one of the drawers. She took a seat at the kitchen table where a basket full of vegetables stood and started to cut them.

"Yeah, I know…" Lucina said with a frown and sat next to her, while she started doing the same. Robin sat down without a word and followed suit.

"But that's where Owain helps most. He knows how they feel and how to cheer them up." Lissa's expression fell a little. Maybe it was the onion she was cutting, but she sniffled a bit and wiped a tear away. "You are both so strong to have lived through all that horror."

Lucina didn't comment on it, but Robin noticed how her expression turned pensive.

Robin nudged Lucina's leg with her food under the table. Lucina didn't seem to notice at first, as she was seemingly caught up in peeling an especially big potato, so Robin tried again, this time a little harder. The princess looked at her with a confused expression.  
"Shall we tell her the news? I wanted to wait for Libra, but…" Robin asked, in a bid to change the topic.

Lissa's ears perked up when she heard them. "What news?" She looked excitedly back and forth between the two of them.

Lucina hesitated. "Maybe we should wait. Owain is not here either and I don't want to do this thrice."

"What don't you want to do thrice?" Lissa pursed her lips. "Hey, tell me!" She pouted, when she saw that the two of them didn't pay any attention to her. "Owain will return soon! Come oooon."

"Aunt Lissa, you are behaving like a child." Lucina reprimanded her gently, but at the same time she found it more amusing than anything.

Robin was glad that she was able to lift the mood with just one question. She knew that Lucina avoided talking and thinking about the past in order to move on and Lissa's comment, though not ill-intended, had scratched at old wounds. She made Lucina lay down her knife, in order to hold her hand.  
"Maybe we should tell each of them separately, dear. I think it will be much more fun that way."

Lucina looked at her, confused at first, but then she understood and smiled. "If you insist… honey."

Lissa stopped mid-ranting. "Dear…? Honey?!" She let go of her knife just to be able to slam her hands on the table. "A-are you…?" She blushed at the mere thought.

"Surprise, we are getting married." Robin announced with a smirk.

Just in time with the announcement, Owain stood at the kitchen door with a baby in hand. He almost dropped Kristi, while his mother gaped incredulously at the pair, almost ready to explode. Whether this was from happy excitement or shock Robin couldn't tell.

Clearing up the ambiguity was almost a shame. Lissa's and Owain's dramatic gushing about had been fun and Robin had enjoyed it far too much if she was honest. But Lucina had laughed along and seeing her happy was all that mattered.

They ate lunch with the children and when Libra arrived home, Robin asked him if he would like to be the one who married them off. He agreed with a smile.

* * *

"Die, evil dragon!" Willis screamed and hit Robin with a makeshift sword Owain had made him from a stick.

"Noooo, I'm struck!" Robin took the hit and dramatically fell down to the ground.

Willis stood overconfidently over her body, pointing his "sword" at her. Jake and Natalie joined him in his apprehension of the evil dragon with similar wooden weaponry: A spoon that served as an axe and a long stick which was supposed to be a lance.

"I'm defeated…" Robin moaned, while grasping something from beneath her coat. "Or, am I?" She suddenly asked and grinned menacingly.

The kids gasped when they noticed the hidden tome.

"Retreat!" Willis screamed and they jumped back to run away.

Robin casted a small fire magic spell, something harmless to put on a show, but the children of course didn't know that. It had been Owain who convinced her of playing with the little ones, since they seemed to be eager at the chance of a new playmate.

"Go forth! Call the magic wielding hero! Only he can defeat her now!" Natalie shouted and Robin knew what had to come next: She didn't need much to know that Owain had wanted to enact a big showdown of good against evil – with him being the legendary hero, of course.

Robin found it quite ironic that it was her of all people who had to play the evil dragon. She had been reluctant at first, because her past was nothing she wanted to make light of, let alone play pretend with it, but the Mark of Grima on the back of her right hand had been long gone and she didn't have the heart to say no to a bunch of puppy-eyed children. She had just felt uneasy to play a game about a creature that had taken countless people's lives in this and an alternate future – a beast that had been deeply connected to and had lived within her, making them basically the same.  
How Lucina had managed to stay clear out of this was still a mystery to her.

The blue haired princess sat outside with Libra and watched the orphans play with Owain and Robin.

Owain had just appeared on a hill, wood-sword lifted in the air while he read a spell from a magic tome to conjure a small thunder for dramatic effect.

"I see you taught Owain how to use magic." She noted while trying not to laugh at the sight. Almost all the children were there with him, except for baby Kristi who was in Libra's arms and a little five year old girl called Rosemarie who picked flowers nearby.

"Yes, he had been quite eager to learn. He said it wouldn't do him good to only focus on physical battle." Libra answered. "But part of me starts to think he did that mostly to perform little tricks like that. " He sighed.

"Maybe." She couldn't help but chuckle when she saw the "showdown" between the two magic wielders. She had seen Robin's most powerful spells more than once in action and to see her tone down her powers and so obviously pretend to fight hard was nothing Lucina could watch and stay serious.

"But it surely helps the children forget the real battles they saw."

"You think that was his intention all along?"

"Knowing Owain, it wouldn't surprise me."

Libra silently watched his son and the children who so obviously seemed to enjoy themselves and smiled. "I see." He only said, his voice sounding oddly proud.

"Libra, I've been meaning to ask you something." Lucina suddenly began.

Her abrupt change of mood aroused his interest. "Oh?" He looked away from the children and focused onto Lucina. "What is it?"

"I've never been quite religious, but… is it really alright for two women to marry? Is it not… a sin? Because I've never heard of something like that before."

His grey eyes watched her silently while he thought about it. He found it quite unusual that the woman that had come from the future, determined to do whatever it takes to take down the fell dragon who had been worshipped as a god in another country, to ask him about something like that.

"Why do you ask? You assisted in slaying a god, how come religion suddenly matters to you?" He wasn't angry at her, no, to be honest he was quite curious.

"I…" She sighed. "I guess it is a silly question for me to ask." She admitted and lowered her gaze.

"Not at all. I'm genuinely interested in what prompted you to ask that." He assured her. Kristi moved about in his arms and he held a finger to her hands to give her something to play with. The baby grabbed at his ring finger and started to pull at it.

"Okay…" Lucina watched Rosemarie pick some daisies as she thought about her response, while she heard Kristi chortle happily next to her.

"It's just that Robin and I are marrying for convenience and we are already deceiving a whole nation – I wouldn't want to lie to Naga too. She's helped me so much, gave me this second chance. And I just – I don't know. Even if it is a fake marriage, Robin is a very good friend of mine and I want to be honest about my feelings. And… am I – am I even making any sense here? I feel uneasy when I think about lying in front of the altar."

She bent down to pick a daisy for herself and rolled the stem absentmindedly between her thumb and index finger.

She was nervous, Libra noticed, and very unsettled about something that shouldn't have really mattered to her in the first place.  
"This doesn't exactly strike me as question on whether your marriage is a sin or not." He noticed. "But rather how you can stay true to your feelings through all of it."

The flower in her hand stopped moving. Her eyes widened with surprise as if she had just realized something very important. He was right. She didn't have doubts about marrying as much as she had about deceiving and lying to people.

Libra put the child in his lap, but Kristi was intent on moving around. He petted her head and smiled while he held her at her tummy to prevent her from falling down.

"Lucina, marriage is a promise between two persons, whether they are male, female, Taguel, Manakete or whatnot. The Holy Book does not mention gender or race." He explained. "Marriage celebrates the connection and devotion these two people have for each other – that is all. And don't you think that friends can be just as dedicated to each other as lovers?" He was looking at Lucina now, with clear grey eyes.

Lucina returned his gaze as she let his words sink in. After a while she nodded.

"You have my gratitude, Libra. I think you lifted a heavy weight from my shoulders today."

The blond man smiled softly. "It was nothing. I will be happy to guide you should you have further questions about your marriage. You won't need to lie, I promise."

She nodded with a smile.

Suddenly, Rosemarie was standing in front of her, with a bracelet made out of daisies. She didn't say anything, but instead pointed at Lucina's wrist.

"Are those for me?" Lucina asked.

The black-haired girl nodded excitedly. She seemed to want to say something, but no voice escaped her lips when she moved them.

Lucina looked helplessly at the priest.

"She doesn't talk ever since the day she came here. According to the soldiers who found her it's because she must have seen something traumatic." Libra explained with a saddened gaze.

"Oh…" Lucina cast a sympathetic glance at the girl, but the five-year-old ignored her resolutely and took her hand and wrapped the flower bracelet around her wrist. When Rosemarie was finished, she examined her work and smiled happily at the princess.

"Thank you." Lucina smiled back and patted Rosemarie's head to which she seemed to laugh abashed, even though only strange pants escaped her throat.

"Nooooooo….!" The three of them suddenly heard and turned to look at the distance where Robin, Owain and the other children had played. This was just in time to see how the "big evil dragon" was subdued by the joint force of nine children jumping at Robin and dragging her down to the ground with them. Lying in the grass now, the only thing they did was laugh out loud.

Lucina smiled when she saw them like that and suddenly she wondered, if she'd ever have children on her own if she married a woman. Then Rosemarie tugged on her sleeve and she realized that adopting one of the little sweethearts from the orphanage was also a choice she'd gladly make.

* * *

 _ **A/N**_ : I had tons of fun writing this chapter. Owain is a fun guy to write and i really like him so I'm glad he could make an appearance - and little orphan kids are a big weakness of mine (they will reappear at the wedding, haha).  
I promise the next update will have much more Robin/Lucina interaction, so stay tuned! I do have the next two chapters already written, but university is keeping me busy so I will update those on the weekends.


	3. Arrangements: Wedding Rings

_**A/N:**_ Here is the next chapter! I'm sorry for the delay, but I usually take some time to re-read through everything and edit a few parts here and there before uploading and with exams coming up you can guess that I didn't have the oportunity to do that.  
Again, thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed the story!

Cyndrodos: Thanks for your lovely comment! It's really nice to know that people are looking forward to see more of this little fic :)

Botmj: Here is the first of said two chapters ;) I hope it doesn't disappoint!

She Who Is Woe: I should thank _you_ for leaving reviews! They really keep one going.

Jaybee: There really isn't enough, but that why I uploaded this one :D

Ruby VanCleef: I see, yeah, you are right, it certainly restricts the time frame. I probably could have worded my notice better or let the reader work with images the story gives them instead of announcing it like that.

NovaChipsy: Glad you liked the play fights! I certainly had fun writing them as you can imagine (someonepleasedrawfanartofthis), lol. I have almost everything written out by now, so the chances of me abandoning this story are close to zero. I'm a lady btw ;)

* * *

Summer had just begun.

Chrom had announced the engagement of his dear friend and valued tactician several weeks back. They had stood at his balcony, where all the people had been able to see the newly engaged couple. Robin and Lucina had been both equally nervous, with many questions on their mind: Would the people approve? Would their gender cause turmoil?

Since no one knew where the Mark of the Exalt had surfaced on Lucina's body, they weren't too worried about that. One had to look her very closely in the eyes to notice it and Lucina had taken utmost care to not let that happen.

The cheers of the crowd had surprised them both, however, Robin had suspected that the real qualms wouldn't reach their ears directly anyway – if there were any, they'd have to hear them from someone else who knew the rumors of the streets.

After their announcement Robin had listened for every kind of reaction she could. Gaius was often wandering around in the more shifty parts of town, but he had nothing to report whenever he met with her and Chrom.

Cordelia on the other hand had found that the announcement had a positive impact on her Pegasus Knights. Most of them were young girls and all of them admired the same-sex couple for their bravery to announce their bond in public. She even told Robin about two particular sweet teenagers that were able to confess their feelings to each other, after getting rid of their doubts concerning their attraction towards their own gender.

Sully instead had heard a nasty comment or two in the ranks of her knights, but she assured Robin that she wiped the floor with whoever had made fun of her friend. And ever since then no one had dared saying something.

The aristocracy had more divided opinions, Ricken and Maribelle had told them. Some were shocked, because how dare two women marry each other – they wouldn't even be able to conceive children and if all noblemen were to do that, then the aristocracy and everyone else may as well just die out. And then there was the other, smaller, fraction that thought that this made for nice publicity and that Ylisstol may get more visitors to see the betrothed which in turn was good for business.

Nothing Robin had heard from her friends had really surprised her. She had expected every kind of reaction, because she had gone through the scenario countless times in her mind, but the better the image she had from the real situation the better it was for them as it was easier to assess the circumstances. She had to admit that she was very fond of all the little stories she had heard so far, Cordelia's story about her recruits being her personal favorite.

She was sitting in her study now, going over the plans and preparations for their wedding.

"We covered the guest list a while ago…" She thought aloud while she skimmed through her papers.  
Of course they had invited the shepherds and their families, as well as the obligatory high-society from Ylisse and the other countries, for political reasons, but Robin made sure to make place for her real friends first.

"The wedding will take place at Ylisstol chapel… We could have used the castle, but filling the chapel with friends also has a strategic advantage to this…" It would be better if less strangers came in direct contact with Lucina, just as a precaution in case they noticed something was off with her left eye, which is why she preferred the smaller setting for the ceremony. She checked her notes to make sure that she had actually made an appointment with the church's clerics, so that nothing else was going on there on their big day.

"As if Chrom wouldn't be able to pull some strings even _if_ there was an issue…"

Their wedding was scheduled to take place one and a half months from now. Robin felt as if there wasn't enough time to plan everything out.

"Did we order flowers? Decorations? A cake?"

She closed her eyes, imaging herself and Lucina in beautiful white dresses, how they would tie the knot (and kiss – oh, how the mere thought alone made her pleasantly nervous), how all the people dear to them would be at the reception, drinking, laughing and dancing with them and how they would cut the wedding cake. There were many things to look forward to. Her mind digressed and her stomach rumbled. "I really want an awesome wedding cake…" She murmured, while she wrote a list of things that came to her mind.

It knocked on her door and without waiting for an answer, Lucina entered. Robin almost never heard the knocks on her door anyway when she was busy.

"Robin?"

Robin startled when she heard her name and looked up from her desk.

"Oh, Lucina! What can I do for you?"

"Well…" Lucina was dressed in casual summer clothing and approached the tactician. "The question should rather be: What can _I_ do for you?" She said and placed her hands on Robin's shoulders while she bent over her fiancée to see what she had been working on. When she saw Robin's to-do-list she smiled.

 _Guest list  
_ _Flowers  
_ _Church (ask Chrom if needed)  
_ _Yummy cake  
_ _Decoration_

Church and guest list were already crossed out. Lucina took Robin's red fountain pen and crossed out flowers and decoration too.

"We covered those a week ago. I think you asked me four times on the same day to list you my favorite flowers." Which had been quite the feat for her, considering how the land in the future had been barren and devoid of almost all greenery. Lucina had actually needed to seek the library out for this and gotten a plant identification book. She had gone out to see what flowers she liked the most and look up their names. She had been too embarrassed to seek a flower shop out and had instead decided to take little Rosemarie from Libra's orphanage with her on a little field and forest trip. Lucina had had the faint feeling that the five-year-old flower enthusiast would be able to show her some nice spots and the little girl had not disappointed.

"Oh." Robin blushed. "N-now that you mention it, I do remember that."

"It's really sweet that you are working so hard, but please, it's my wedding too. Don't go around and try to do everything alone, you will just overwork yourself like that." Lucina said and started to massage Robin's shoulders.

She understood that Robin wanted everything to be perfect, but the most work, which stemmed from the fact that there were two brides and no grooms and therefore bringing up lots of organizational questions, (for example how many best men or bridesmaids they'd need or bridal bouquet's and all the things that were usually set in a traditional marriage), had already been covered. But that didn't stop Robin from finding even more work, it left Lucina to wonder if the other woman was addicted to it.

"I… just want this day to be perfect…" Robin mumbled, her objection melting slowly away while she enjoyed Lucina's touch. Her hands worked firmly and she managed to find and relieve all the tense spots, which hurt, but in a good way.

Lucina had quickly learned how to make Robin listen to her; if she used physical contact then it was frighteningly easy, so she made sure to use this special kind of power only for her fiancée's own good. For example if she was overworking herself again. It was nothing new, as Robin had tended to pull all-nighters during the war, in order to prepare and concoct her strategies.

"It will be – if you don't go over my head and let me have a say in this too." She reassured her softly, but firmly.

"Alright, you are right. So, tell me: Did I forget something?" Robin raised her head to look at Lucina's face.

"Yes." She simply stated.

"And what would that be?" Robin was confused and at the same time her worries doubled. What was it? She just hoped it was something she could quickly resolve.

Lucina showed her her right hand. "What do you see?"

"Five not-so-delicate fingers with callouses from wielding Falchion." Robin answered jokingly, which resulted in getting a little smack on her head.

"This was not what I meant." Lucina clarified a little petulantly.

"Figures." Robin looked at the other's hand again, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. "I don't know." She finally admitted.

"We will need rings for the ceremony." The princess stated and let go of her. She could see how the horror slowly began to show on Robin's face.

"Oh, by the gods! How could I forget something like that?" The tactician paled and immediately she was on her feet. "I'm so sorry, Lucina! I will get you one right away!" She was about to leave, when Lucina grabbed her by the collar to prevent her fiancée from storming off.

"Robin." She said sternly.

Lucina's serious voice let her pause.

"It's alright. Let us just go to the city and pick them – _together_." Lucina suggested. "I understand that you didn't have one ready when you proposed to me. You probably never imagined that I would have agreed to this and that's fine. And it's also fine that you didn't think about this with all the other things you have had on your mind after I accepted." She explained calmly.

Robin turned to face her again.

"Robin, I like being with you and there are moments where I look very much forward to our married life, but not when you are like this. When you try too hard to please me, just like you are right now then I just feel… uncomfortable. I want to be by your side and not be pushed _a_ side. You may have conflicting feelings for me, but can you sometimes try to be more like a friend? Right now you just wanted to storm off and disregarded me and that's just…."

Lucina let go of her collar. "Just don't do that again, please." She requested, her facial features softening now.

This was not the first time something like that had happened. Part of Lucina understood that Robin behaved like that, because she did not want Lucina to feel bad about the arranged marriage and to make her happy – but reading every wish off her eyes had the opposite effect. Mostly it made Lucina feel awkward. She had nothing against smaller gestures, a picked flower here and there, a book Robin thought she'd like to read – those were the genuine moments she much more preferred.

"I… I'm sorry." Robin said guiltily. "I guess I missed the forest for the trees, so to speak." She tried a little smile. "How about I go change into something more casual and we make ourselves a nice day in town?" She suggested in an attempt to make up for her overhasty behavior.

Lucina nodded. "I'd love that." This was what she had had in mind when she came to Robin's study in the first place anyway.

"Thanks." Robin quickly made her way out of her study, which left Lucina to just sigh. It was cute how her fiancée tried her best, but sometimes it was not only too much, but it felt just wrong. Robin returned not a moment later though, which confused her.

"Lucina? Thanks for being so honest. All the things you just said mean a lot to me."

"Don't you remember that you were the one who told me that it is refreshing to talk to someone who holds nothing back? And then you made me promise to keep saying what's on my mind, no matter what?" She smiled fondly at the memory.

"I…" Robin blushed and lowered her gaze. "Of course I do. It was the first time we spoke together and got actually along." Right, one of Lucina's most distinct features had always been her honesty and the ability to speak her mind when something bothered her. Even though this had caused some trouble between them in the beginning, she had found herself drawn to this characteristic.

Wait, didn't she just say that she looked forward to marrying her? She had said something like that – right? Robin felt her face grow warm.

"Robin." Lucina called her, which snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Leave your coat here when you get changed or else you will get a heatstroke."

"B-but…" Robin _loved_ that coat. She was attached to it, since she had always been wearing it ever since Chrom had found her in the fields. It gave her a sense of security and she had noticed how her performances were always better when she wore it.

She saw Lucina examining her rigorously and found that she looked like a very concerned spouse. Robin chuckled, because, in a way she was.

"Okay." She agreed. After all they would only be shopping in town – there really was no need to wear it.

"Robin, look at this. Isn't it wonderful?" They had decided to not seek out directly the jewelries and smiths and instead walked leisurely through Ylisstol's market and town center. Lucina had a habit of stopping at booths and tents from wandering merchants that offered clothes and fabrics. Robin didn't mind, she had taken the day off from her duties, but Lucina's taste in clothes was… special. Robin had to deploy all her skill in convincing Lucina to not buy anything without offending her. Up until now it had worked out.

This particular piece of clothing was bright purple and covered with even brighter green stars.

"Oh, it's… quite something." Robin said after a few moments of thinking of a quick neutral comment. To be fair, it was not the worst she had seen today. The memory of a dress consisting of different types of fabric, one part covered in red and yellow polka dots and the other in green stripes, made her shudder. Thank Naga Lucina had believed her when Robin had said that it was probably ahead of its time.

Lucina took the dress and put it in front of her body. "You think it would fit me?"

"Well, the colors would fit your hair." Robin said truthfully – if they just didn't clash against each other on the textile. Had the dress been a dark purple it would have actually been decent. At least a little. "But is it even your size?"

"Hm…" Lucina examined herself and traced one side of the dress with her hand. "It may be a bit short if I wear it."

Robin nodded and thought to herself that this wasn't the only issue beside: The neckline was quite low cut, too, so for the dress to look good on someone they'd need to have the breasts to fit it – but Robin knew for a fact that she didn't want to be the one who told Lucina that she was flat-chested; not that she had paid much attention to her fiancée's body (okay, maybe a little, but she never excessively stared – that would be just plain rude). She herself wasn't much better off either if she was honest.

"Then we should continue looking. I think it would be pointless to buy a dress this expensive if it doesn't fit well."

"I guess you are right." Lucina put the dress back and gave it a last wistful glance before they moved along. This had been the last interesting booth of the market. The ones that followed were full of fruit and crops and vegetables from the farmers to sell to the townspeople, but the couple got what they needed from Ylisstol Castle's supplies.

When Robin looked around sometimes she saw every now and then how people watched them curiously.

"Lucina? We probably should…"

"I noticed." Lucina said and tucked her arm into Robin's. She didn't mind this one bit, but she usually got caught up in all the things she saw around town and didn't even notice how she let go of Robin every time. She wasn't exactly the clingy type either and probably wouldn't have become one even if she had found a man to love.

Robin on the other hand enjoyed it and put on a genuine smile. They continued their way and stopped from time to time to examine the windows of the town's shops.

"This one's pretty nice." Robin said and pointed at a golden bracelet she spotted at a jeweler's vitrine.

"I like that one, too." Lucina eyed a round medallion with a depiction of Naga. Or rather the smith's interpretation on what Naga looked like.

"They seem to have a lot of pretty jewelry, shall we enter?" Robin asked.

Lucina nodded.

The shop keeper was an old man with snow-white hair who was busy with polishing a silver necklace behind the counter. When Robin and Lucina entered he looked up and greeted them.

"Good day, my ladies. What can I do for you?"

"My fiancée and I are looking for wedding rings and your displays appealed to both of us, so we wanted to take a look at what you have in store." Robin explained.

The old man stared at them with narrowed eyes. "Are you…" He reached behind the counter and put on a pair of rather thick glasses. "Oh! Lady Robin, it's you!" He exclaimed when he had a clear look at them. "And Lady Lucina, what an honor for you two to visit my humble shop."

"Haha, please, don't be so formal." Robin was abashed. She was aware that almost all of Ylisstol knew her by looks, but usually the people didn't pause whatever they were doing to stare at her, just like they did when the Exalt was in town.

She liked being acknowledged for her work, but hated exaggerated attention, because it felt fake. Suddenly she understood what Lucina had said to her earlier about being uncomfortable when she had tried too hard to please her.

"Alright. If you are searching for rings, then come over here." He walked a bit to the side of the counter where a glass cabinet was built in. "Take a look, I have more if nothing strikes your fancy."

Robin and Lucina walked to him and bent over the cabinet. The rings were all made out of gold, but of different kinds. Some were thin, others thick, with gemstones and without, some were bicolored with either white or rose gold or silver and others had vastly different shapes from anchors to looking braided and even those of animals.

"The craftsmanship is remarkable." Lucina was impressed with how many different shapes a single ring could take.

"Something caught your eye?" The old salesman asked with a proud smile and leaned forward.

Lucina tensed and lowered her gaze, pretending to get an even closer look on the rings. Robin knew that she did that in order to avoid a direct glance into her left eye, but she probably came off as shy.

"Um, they are all beautiful, but there is nothing that stands out in particular." Lucina tried to explain politely.

He only nodded. "Of course. A wedding ring should be something special." He agreed and came out from behind the counter. He unlocked a few drawers, to reveal the rings inside, and put them on the worktop for the couple to see. "Maybe you will find something here. My son made a lot of these, so it wouldn't be a problem to alter them if something in particular bothered you."

"I see, thank you." They continued to examine the jewelry and after a while, Lucina picked one ring in particular up.

It was a gold ring which had the form of a slender dragon. It had a small ruby in its mouth and its body wrapped twice around her finger, without looking massive. It was a very fine piece of work, each scale was clearly visible and even small details like its teeth, eyes, nostrils and horns had been crafted lovingly.

"How about this one?" She asked after examining it for quite some time.

"Uh…" Robin hadn't exactly imagined her wedding ring to take the form of a dragon. Truth to be told, she did not have any specific image in mind, but she had expected something more… traditional. By now she had caught on to Lucina's peculiar tastes, however, she felt that Lucina didn't just chose this ring for its looks.

Wasn't it a dragon after all that had taken her parents away and destroyed her life? Why wear it as a reminder on her finger?

"It's beautiful, but… why a dragon? Didn't Grima take everything from you?"

Lucina beheld the ring with a thoughtful expression that Robin couldn't quite read. Surely, they couldn't have this conversation in front of the clerk.

The shop's door suddenly opened behind them.

"Jerald!" A middle aged woman called out. "My dear, my _darling_ , I need you immediately." She stormed towards the counter and showed the surprised salesman a ring she held between her fingers.

"Can you believe it? One of the gems fell off! I need a replacement! I wanted to attend dinner at the Castillo Mansion and this ring needs to be on my finger or else my outfit will be ruined!"

She was blonde, but with very short hair. For some reason, she reminded Robin of a strange mix of Maribelle and Sully – in personality and appearance.

"Angelica, please." He just smiled at her and took the ring from her hands. "I will take a look at it, will you come too?" He disappeared in a room behind the counter and the woman named Angelica followed him while she chattered about another dinner she had attended and how horrendous her friend had looked like because she had worn the wrong brooch with her dress.

Robin and Lucina had watched the scene silently and while the former did wonder what kind of relationship those two had, she was also glad for the privacy this little distraction provided.

"You know that I basically was Grima." Robin said with a low voice while she looked down at the ring on Lucina's finger.

"Yes." Lucina found a second ring, which was mirror-symmetric to the one she wore: The exact same dragon, but he looked in the opposite direction and was winded the other way. "And my family has long been associated with Naga. And now that we marry the fell dragon and the holy dragon form a bond forged by peace and friendship – don't you think this makes for nice symbolism? Look, if we wear them like this, they would face each other." She smiled and put the second ring on Robin's right ring finger.

They held their hands next to each other and Robin watched them while different things crossed her mind. She had always hated her connection to Grima and the pain it had caused to her and her friends. She had wanted to forget about it and suppressed it whenever possible, just like Lucina didn't like to talk about the things she had seen in her timeline.

But maybe this was an opportunity for them both to accept what had happened and to learn and live with it, since it was part of who they were.

"I never thought about it like that." She finally admitted. "Though I doubt we will ever be able to talk about this to anyone outside the shepherds, if we were to explain this rather odd choice of ring."

Lucina only smiled. "That's fine; a couple ought to have its secrets, right?"

Her smile was infectious. "I like it when you put it like that." Robin answered and the same smile showed on her face too.

"I knew you would." Lucina gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Robin blushed at the sudden close contact and stared at her abashedly. Lucina was really getting into this it seemed.

Lucina noticed her stare and averted her eyes shyly. It had felt natural to give Robin a kiss on the cheek, she hadn't pondered about it and she didn't see a reason to do so anyway. She'd go mad if she thought about every of her gestures and honestly, if it felt natural then it would only help disguise their actual scheme anyway. However, whenever she did something like this, Robin would get all tense and silent. It made Lucina wonder if she was doing the right thing.

"Is… everything alright?" She decided to ask.

"Ah, yes. Why do you ask?" Robin decided to take a closer look on the ring on her finger, since it was easier to do that than looking straight into her fiancée's eyes.

"You suddenly seem so tense. I didn't make you uncomfortable, did I?"

"What? No! No, of course not… Actually…" She raised her hand to examine the dragon's features, trying hard to concentrate on them. "I was just caught by surprise, because I like it a lot when you do that." She confessed and felt her face flush even more. "It feels better than when we are pretending."

Lucina looked at her, how she fumbled with a bright red face at the ring and with an embarrassed smile she tried unsuccessfully to suppress.

"I see." So the exact opposite had been the case. She watched Robin, all abashed and shy and smiled gently. "You are cute."

The comment made Robin stop and she looked back at Lucina as if she hadn't heard right, but her words were left uncommented seeing as the woman named Angelica stormed out of the workshop from the back again.

"Thank you, darling! I will see you for dinner next week again!"

The shopkeeper appeared behind the counter again. Robin would have expected for him to look annoyed or relieved, but he seemed to be in rather high spirits.

"Did you find something?" He asked, oblivious to what had been going on moments ago.

"Y-yes, we will take these." Robin said and they took the rings off to hand them over. Jerald rose his eyebrows when he saw them, but didn't comment on their choice. "Is it possible to exchange the gemstones the dragons bear?"

He nodded. "Of course. Do you have something specific in mind?"

Robin nodded. "I want a sapphire on mine – to remind me of my wife." She explained and gazed affectionately at Lucina.

The blue haired princess felt her cheeks flush. "I also have something on my mind." She said and they finished their alteration order of the rings, promising to get them later that week or sending someone to do that and to pay on the spot then.

The couple was on their way back to the castle, chatting over what relationship the blonde woman, who had barged into the jeweler, might have with the shop keeper when Lucina stopped mid-step for what would be the last time for the day.

"What is it?" Robin asked.

"Look." Lucina's gaze was focused on the shop window to her left.

Robin's eyes followed the direction and noticed they had almost passed by a tailor shop. It seemed to be rather small judging from the size of its display window which fit a mere three dresses, but the owner had taken great care of it. The decorations of the window were very pretty, lots of different fresh flowers encircling it and the sign that hung over the entrance door was wooden, with silver letters and had the shape of a cat.

"Otilia Shawna Trice Tailoring, huh?" Robin read the sign.

"Look at the dress to the left."

Robin did as she was told and saw a white dress. It was not a fancy multi-layered wedding dress, rather a casual one, with two different belts loosely tied around the waist, one was made out of black leather and the other plaited, with smaller strands of beige. It had no sleeves, but wide straps and had deep cuts on both sides, bound together in a cross-shape with dark brown strings.

"Wow, this one's really pretty." She was surprised that this particular dress had caught Lucina's interest, considering what she had seen today at the market. "But, uh… you are not thinking of it as a wedding dress, right?"

Lucina examined the dress and judging by her look she was seriously considering it.

"I know it's not suitable for the ceremony." She finally said and Robin took a deep breath and sighed with relief, not realizing that she had been holding it moments ago. "Still, it's so beautiful…"

"Well, why don't we go in and you try it on then?" Robin suggested.

"But…" Lucina hesitated. "I don't really need a dress, except for the ceremony."

"Well, then you can wear it for another occasion."

"There aren't usually any occasions where I'd wear a dress. So it would be a waste of money." Lucina seemed to be already set with her decision, but her eyes hadn't let go of the dress for even a moment.

Robin watched her for a few seconds, wondering what her issue was. Hadn't she been fine with looking at dresses and considering buying them just this morning? There was no harm in getting a dress, she could wear it whenever she wanted, except when she accompanied her and Chrom for work, which would surely happen more frequently after their wedding, but there was no need to refrain from buying it.

"Lucina, you could wear it whenever you want. It wouldn't be a waste." She assured her.

"But…" She lowered her eyes, not sure what she wanted to say.

Robin suddenly got a hunch about what this might be about. She placed a hand on Lucina's shoulder, prompting the other to look at her.

"The war is long over. You are allowed to treat yourself to pretty things every once in a while." She probably had never treated herself to anything these past years and had always saved up money to buy weapons and armory. Robin understood, she had been no different in her role of maintaining the shepherds' budget and seeing how Lucina had no one else to rely to in her future, where the financial issues had been far worse, it must have been even harder for her. Now, that she was really intent on getting this particular one, as opposed to this morning where she had mostly looked for fun, she had second thoughts about actually getting it.

The princess smiled softly. "Alright, I will try it on."

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ I hope the chapter provided you with satisfying amounts of Lucina/Robin, lol. (I intentionally didn't write enough, because there will never be enough, haha.)  
The next one will be only about half in length, but since it includes a time skip to two weeks before the wedding I found it better to post it seperately. I also started writing the wedding part which is at ~3700 words right now and I'm not even halfway through. The next chapter will probably be up next weekend.

As always, I hope you had fun reading and I'd be happy if you left a review!

PS: Can you guess what relationship Jerald and Angelica have? I had sth specific in mind when I wrote the scene.  
The white dress is the one Lucina wears at her OST artwork (hence the strange name of the tailoring shop) - I wonder if that came across.


	4. Arrangements: Late Night Thoughts

_**A/N:**_ This time I managed to update during the weekend :D Nothing much to say, as announced this chapter is shorter than the rest. It was very hard to write, especially the last part of Lucina's thoughts. After rewriting it for the third time I'm finally satisfied with it.

As per usual follow responses to your comments:

Cyndrodos: You are almost always the first to review! It makes me very happy to see someone like my story so much :) The dresses were fun to describe, especially those that were supposed to look unconventional lol.

zekrom84: Nice, it's always cool to meet people that like the same couples :) I'm definitely gonna read and review through your fic when I'm done with most of my urgent uni stuff.

She Who Is Woe: It's good to see that last chapter didn't disappoint, haha. Now I wonder if this was thanks to the things I added during editing (which was more than usual) or if it was already a given since Robin and Lucina interacted much more with each other than in the last chapter. It would be nice if you could tell me if there was anything in particular that stood out to you :)

* * *

It was late at night.

Lucina sat at her desk and yawned. Her wedding was a mere two weeks away now and she still hadn't found the right words for her matrimonial vow. Libra had given her a few suggestions, some of the more common things said, but she had refused to say other words than her own. They were her feelings and whatever she would promise her future wife that day, she wanted those words to come from the bottom of her heart. This was not an easy task though, seeing how they hadn't fallen in love and planned to marry for the sake of being with each other.

So, what exactly were they? Robin had promised her that they wouldn't have any romantic or sexual obligations to each other, as they weren't a real couple to begin with and that was as it was. They had found friendship and trust in all their combats together during the war, the ultimate showdown having been their battle against Grima. Fights like that were bound to connect two people forever in one way or the other.

But what about the peaceful times? What were they now, in a period without battles and without needing to watch each other's back?

When Robin had disappeared after delivering the final blow the shepherds had been devastated. Lucina had been no exception, but she and everyone had believed in their strong bonds and had hoped and prayed for her return.  
Lucina wasn't someone who cried easily – she had stayed strong after her father had died in battle and had always put on a brave act for her friends in the future. For a long time she had been their only hope, a burden that had weighed heavily on her shoulders. When she and Robin had reunited she hadn't noticed how the tears had fallen.

And now they still were friends and had been able to get to know each other under a different light than that of war. Even before the proposal they had spent a lot of time together after Robin had returned, seeing how the tactician was the closest to her parents and knew about their whereabouts when Lucina was looking for them and was the least suspicious to talk to when strangers were nearby.

Lucina enjoyed her company and not much had changed after their engagement. Spending their lives together like they had these past weeks was a thought she was comfortable with. There was no man in her life, no one she had feelings for and she wasn't sure if there would ever will be – or, she suddenly noticed, if she even wanted there to be someone.

Had this always been the case?

Her eyes watched the flickering light of the candles on her desk, as she pondered about that realization.

She heard a knock on her door. "Lucina, are you awake?"

She jerked and looked up from her notes and towards where the noise had come from. "Yes, come in." Of course she had recognized the voice, but even without it she knew that only her fiancée would visit her at this late hour. They would talk or read books in comfortable silence and when it was time to sleep, Robin would leave, making sure a guard or two saw her on her way to her own room. Tonight Lucina was a little surprised though, because these past days Robin had been away with Chrom to visit Ferox, officially to go over some contracts for aid funds in order for both countries to get the help they needed in the aftermaths of war.

Robin entered. "Hey." She greeted Lucina with a warm smile. "I saw that the curtains were still not drawn close, so I thought I'd pay a visit."

Lucina smiled back. "Thanks, how was your trip to Ferox?"She knew Robin couldn't have returned too long ago. She had to be tired from the trip, but she still chose to see her first. Lucina had initially wanted to tag along, but since it hadn't been a serious matter and her mother and Cynthia had gone nuts over the fact that she still hadn't found a wedding dress, she had been basically forced to stay in Ylisstol and resolve this matter first.

"Wonderful, Khan Flavia and Basilio can't wait to get drunk at the festivities." Robin chuckled and went over to sneak a peek at whatever her fiancée had been doing. "What's keeping you awake at this late hour?"

Lucina quickly scrambled the papers together. "T-that doesn't concern you!" She said defensively and hurried to put them away under a book, where they were out of sight.

"Are you sure? Before I left a few days ago, you seemed to be troubled too. And I bet it's still about the same thing."

Lucina's cheeks reddened. "I…"

Robin rested her case and just stood beside her with inquiring amber eyes, the smile still on her face. She didn't do anything and that unsettled Lucina even more so. Was it one of her subtle tactics to make her speak her mind or did she just let her be?

"That was about not being able to accompany you." She decided to rather answer that than the question at hand. She felt embarrassed for some reason she couldn't quite grasp.

Robin's eyes turned upwards as she remembered her departure. "Haha, right: Your mom and Cynthia were indignant because of the lacking wedding dress."

"Yes, and my mother told aunt Lissa and Cordelia and Cordelia Severa and Severa… well, let me say that trying to find something and being accompanied by seven other women is not an easy task." Lucina heaved a little sigh when she remembered the ordeal.

They had been to six different shops, unable to be at one with each other until Kjelle had suggested Lucina may as well wear a suit, seeing as she would marry another woman anyway; and Lucina hadn't even been opposed to the idea, in fact she had immediately taken a liking to a particular nice striped black suit with a white vest and dark red tie. What Lucina had liked the most about the combination was the fact that the "stripes" actually had been the mark of the exalt, imprinted one above the other that had created this semblance.

For some reason Severa had been against the idea of a suit after taking a closer look at the one Lucina had taken a liking to.

"Did you manage to find something?" Robin inquired with mild amusement.

"Yes, because thank goodness Nah suggested we just get a dress made by a tailor. We combined the things that everyone liked from the other dresses and it came out really nicely I have to admit."

"That's good to hear. I look forward to seeing you wear it."

Lucina just smiled. "What about you? Do you already have one?"

Robin nodded.

"I went shopping with Cordelia, Sully, Nowi and Olivia not too long ago before leaving for Ferox. That was quite an adventure too." She chuckled at the memory.

Nowi had been overly excited about all the dresses, Sully, too, had claimed that Robin looked good with anything, but it was apparent that she didn't have an eye for this kind of fashion when Cordelia and Olivia had pointed out smaller flaws in the different dresses that none of the former had noticed. Funnily enough, Sully had at one point suggested Robin may as well try on suits, in a similar fashion her daughter would days later.

"So, everything is actually settled until the big day?" Lucina asked.

"I think so. At least nothing comes to mind." Robin glanced at the dubious papers Lucina had put away, and for a second Lucina feared she would bring them up again, but instead she just yawned.

"So, you also have your wedding vow ready?" Lucina gave them a quick sideways glance too.

"Yeah, I spent several nights in my study until I came up with the words I felt were right." Robin's eyes dropped close now. She was really tired.

"How did you do it? Find the right words I mean." Lucina asked.

Robin smiled languidly. "I wrote everything down that came to my mind and then pieced everything together."

"I see." Lucina rested her head on her left hand and yawned too. Maybe she should try it Robin's way. So far she had wanted to directly write down what she'd like to say later on, but maybe it wasn't too bad of an idea to just write down whatever came to her first and then make a pick.

She closed her eyes, trying to imagine the wedding that wasn't too far away now, with her friends and family that would attend, herself in the dress her close girl friends helped pick. In a perfect world it would be her father who would walk her down the aisle, but she knew only too well that it would arouse the suspicion of the public if he wouldn't do that for Robin, who had no family whatsoever and was his closest friend. They had talked about it, but it still made her sad.

She sighed.

"What is it?" Robin immediately noticed that this was not a weary, but a sad sigh.

"Oh, nothing. My mind just drifted towards the ceremony and how my father won't be able to walk me down the aisle…" Lucina answered truthfully.

"I'm still sorry about that. I really tried to find something to tell the nation, as to make it seem logical, but Chrom and I have too much of a reputation." She put her hands on Lucina's shoulders. "But I thought about something different that will make you as happy." She told her with a little smile.

Lucina blinked. That was news to her. "What do you mean?" She turned her head towards Robin again, but she couldn't read the smile on her face.

"You will see." Robin just said and hugged her fiancée's upper body from behind. "I should go to sleep now, I can hardly keep my eyes open." She whispered in Lucina's ear, while resting her chin on the blue haired female's shoulder.

Lucina gently rubbed the other woman's arm. "You do that." She said and took a deep breath. Robin smelled of fresh air and dry greens, of a peaceful and warm summer that made her feel nostalgic. Robin must have had immediately come to her room, if nature's smell still lingered on her clothes.

She closed her eyes and focused on the other woman's arms around her and her calm and steady breath next to her ears. Lucina leaned her head onto Robin's and felt how her mind slowly drifted off to the realm of dreams.

They stayed together like this for a while, until she began to fear that Robin may actually fall asleep while still standing. That was because Lucina, too, found it tempting to just fall asleep on the spot – and she was not the one who had travelled across the country.

Robin had a calming way about her, something that made Lucina feel secure and comfortable. She did not want to part from her, not yet, not tonight.

"Robin?"

"Mhm?" She only made.

"Do you want to stay the night here?" Lucina asked. Why send her fiancée away, when they felt content right now?

Robin opened an eye. "Oh my, what will the others think when I will leave your room in the morning?"

Lucina chuckled. "Aren't we a couple to them anyway? They are probably suspicious already that this hasn't happened yet."

Robin nodded. "Alright." There was nothing she could and wanted to say against this. She had learned that Lucina was always honest with requests like those, no matter the reason behind them.

Did Lucina love her?

She had thought about asking her on many occasions, because whereas Robin had been unsure when she had made her proposal, over the time they had been engaged she had to admit that yes, she did in fact fall in love with the blue haired princess from the future. Probably even for much longer than she wanted to admit. She enjoyed being together far more than with any of her close friends and welcomed every kind of close and genuine intimacy, like the moment they shared now.

At times she craved so much more than simple hugs and kisses on the cheeks, but she would never admit that, to not make matters complicated or painful for Lucina. Still, she could not deny that she wished that Lucina felt the same. Robin knew that even if she asked her someday if she loved her, Lucina may even answer with yes, but not because she felt the same desires, but rather because love came in different shapes and as they were now, best friends and companions, there was no denying that Lucina indeed had deep feelings for her, just not the way Robin yearned.

"Robin, I need you to get off me if we want to go to bed." Lucina gently reminded her.

Robin's eyes had closed again and Lucina's voice seemed to come from far away now. Her thoughts weighed heavy on her chest, but she decided to let them rest for now. It was too easy to sadden herself, especially when she was tired. She let go, from her musings and her fiancée, and Lucina stood up and took her by the hand towards her double sized bed.

Robin dropped on the mattress, with her clothes still on and Lucina could only shake her head and sigh softly.

"Take your shoes off at least." She reprimanded her with a gentle smile.

Robin obeyed and she tiredly kicked her boots off her feet, while Lucina laid down next to her.

"Good night…" Robin murmured and turned to her right side, facing her fiancée.

How in the world was she able to sleep in the middle of a summer night with that coat still on? Lucina couldn't fathom this, but she figured that Robin would take it off herself if she became too hot. She took the other woman's hands in hers and smiled.

The night was warm, her balcony doors wide open to let the occasional fresh breeze into her room and she felt as if everything had fallen into place.

Lucina was happy and content, she realized and that was because Robin was right there with her. This left her to wonder: was this how love felt like? How would she know, having only ever experienced the love of her parents and losing it at a far too young age, too?

Sometimes she felt like a small child, too young to use and understand the big words like "love" – as if she couldn't quite grasp their meaning yet. She had no experience, that much was true, and she hated to admit that to herself. She did not like feeling like a naïve child after everything she had been through and she did not want to be treated like one either. How would Robin react if she told her about this naivety?

Lucina sighed as she watched the other woman sleep peacefully.

Even though she could not name it, there definitely was something in the air. She squeezed Robin's hands a little tighter and closed the distance between them.

She would figure her feelings out eventually. After all, she had all the time in the world now – they had made sure of that.

Soon, sleep got the better out of her and she closed her eyes, too tired to think about her feelings any further. She felt the warmth of Robin's hands in hers and knew that everything would be all right.

* * *

 _ **A/N**_ : Yup, the chapter is unfortunately over already. But it is definitely important to see where the relationship is standing now, a little prior the wedding. What will happen, will they figure things out? ;) (I already know, hahahahaha)

 **Important announcement:** I have a major exam in theoretical physics in a month which i reaaaaally need to pass and three lab reports to hand in until July 8th, so I won't have the time to work on the wedding part until August. I've already started it though, which makes it easier to get back into writing again. There are lots of major parts I look forward to writing (the wedding night, hehe), but the story will be on hiatus for a month or two. You can leave suggestions for character interactions in the reviews for the shepherds and the future children and I will see if I can fit them into the celebrations :)  
Wish me luck, if I don't pass I will have to take the re exam in August and that means the update will be pushed even further back D: 


	5. Wedding: Ceremony

**_A/N:_** I'm back with another chapter in tow! This one was really hard to write. Especially the actual ceremony had me so unsatisfied that I left the chapter for almost two weeks untouched until I felt the motivation to go back and revise it. It didn't help that my mental health problems surfaced again (feeling numb/depressive is not exactly what I want to feel when I'm writing a happy occasion like a wedding). But I'm satisfied with how it turned out after editing and I hope you will be too.

Big thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed the story so far!

Cyndrodos: It makes me so happy to hear how invested you are in my story :3 I hope this new chapter won't disappoint! I can slip Walhart into the next chapter, so no worries.

Draen: Thank you, I'm glad you liked what you read so far! And yeah, I guess it's original since most people tend to pair up Chrom with f!Robin which results in Lucina being her daughter, so... not much room for a romantic relationship. Though I haven't seen much smb stories on here either (I think they were like three), feel free to slip me some links if you can! :D

She Who Is Woe: Haha, i see. So i guess I write them with a good chemistry - it's good to know that I'm succeeding with that then!

* * *

 _The dragon towered in all his mighty glory over Ylisstol. Heart pounding, Lucina raised her sword. She felt weak, barely able to lift Falchion as the six red eyes focused on her. His presence emitted an eerie aura that covered everything in darkness and despair. How did she ever hope to defeat such a foe? Fangs bared, the dragon snapped his mighty head at her._

"Lucy!"

Lucina jerked awake when a heavy weight dropped on her with such force that she thought it had smashed her lungs.

Panting, she looked around. She was in her room, safe. Whatever she had just seen was a dream – a mere nightmare, nothing else. At least that's what Lucina would have loved to believe, but it had been more than that. That dream was a memory from the time Grima had started to take over Ylisse. That dragon truly had a terrific presence. How she had managed to not get eaten on the spot back then Lucina still couldn't fathom at times.

Cynthia examined her with a worried frown. She was still lying on her sister from her attempt to wake her up.

Lucina had woken up just fine, but she seemed delirious still. Her eyes were not focusing on Cynthia, instead looking at an unbeknown spot behind her. "Hey, are you okay?" Only when Cynthia addressed her again, Lucina's blue eyes moved slowly to her sister's face and seemed to have become clearer.

"Yes, I was merely startled by your attempt to awaken me." Lucina finally said and let her body relax again. She sighed and leaned her head back into the soft pillows. It had been so long since her last nightmare that she had managed to forget about them for a long while. They had haunted her during the war and long after she had started to stay in the castle. They had only started to get sparser when… when she had started to spend more time with Robin after her proposal.  
It was easy to see why, since they had been busy making preparations and pretending to be a couple – that way her mind had been able to focus on something else instead of brooding over her past (and luckily a future that was no more) time and time again. Instead of having a nightmare multiple times a week it had toned down to once or twice every two weeks until she hadn't seen them for half a month. That was, until today. She hoped this didn't make for a bad omen.

Cynthia just grinned. "Sorry, I thought it would be best to start this special day with some oomph, you know?" What little light managed to enter the room through the gap between the curtains illuminated her face and blue hair gently. Half of her figure was in the dark, because the new daylight was still weak.

Lucina chuckled a bit. "You certainly managed to get the oomph-part right." She looked towards the windows where the light came from and was surprised to see that the sun had just begun to rise. Did her sister not know that she was not obliged to start the day on the brink of dawn? This time though, Lucina was glad for the early morning intrusion. It was better than having her thoughts circling around her dream and the happenings which had led to it.

She looked back at her little sister again, who was happily examining her with a hum, legs swinging energetically back and forth. She was certainly in high spirits. This was nothing unusual, but Lucina figured it must have to do something with what she had just said.

"What do you mean with special day?"

"Oh, silly Lucy, you must still be half-asleep to ask something like that!" Cynthia laughed. "Today is your wedding!"

Lucina paled when she heard those words. "What?" Already? Did time really fly by so fast? It felt as if she had finished her vows just a few days ago. Never mind, it _had_ been few days ago actually. Even after she had asked Robin about it she had still needed a while to come up with something she felt comfortable with.

"I knew you'd forget that! Since you've been so busy the last two weeks with attending business with father and Robin. But don't worry: Cynthia has everything figured out! The other girls will be here soon! Dressing up, getting ready – it will be so much fun!"

Her initial anxiousness after waking up resurfaced again. But this time it was not because of the nightmare. She was going to marry today. _Today_.

What had seemed like a foolhardy plan a few months ago when Lucina had accepted the proposal was going to become reality in a couple of hours.

There was no need to be nervous. Nothing would change after her marriage, except that she would share quarters with Robin, as expected from a couple. Right? All was well, they'd just do as planned. No strings attached. It was alright. Stay calm, she told herself.

But when Cynthia got up from her bed and pulled her out of the sheets by the hands Lucina could feel the sickness rising in her stomach.

* * *

"Hey, has someone seen my shoes?"

"Where is my lipstick?"

"Nah, can you do my hair?"

The morning was busy in Ylisstol castle. As announced by Cynthia earlier before, Lucina's female friends had gathered in her quarters and were busy getting ready for the big day. Lucina herself was already dressed and sat on a stool in front of her mirror while Severa made her hair. The bride goes first, everyone had said. Truth to be told, Lucina had been too caught up in her own thoughts and had barely noticed how she had gotten into her dress.

Her little sister Cynthia was running around and searching for parts of her outfit. "Where are those shoes?!" She was donning a sleeveless yellow dress, its pleats reaching to her knees and with a dark blue ribbon tied around her waist.

"Um… you mean the yellow heels over there?" Noire said and pointed to said pair of shoes which laid unceremoniously next to Lucina's bed. Cynthia almost didn't hear her.

"Oh! There they are!"

The whole morning, Cynthia hadn't been able to sit still. Like a whirlwind she had been gushing about getting dressed, waking Lucina up way too early and getting her friends together to get ready for the ceremony. Severa had appreciated the fact that Cynthia had stopped acting like a hero for at least the day and went back to looking forward to the girly stuff like getting dressed up, but now it started to get on her nerves.

"Could you please shut up for a second?" She requested loudly, while she busied herself with Lucina's hair.

Cynthia was abashed. "How can you say something like that?! It's Lucy's big day after all!"

"I need some peace and quiet! Those pin-up hairstyles require _a lot_ of concentration!" Severa huffed.

"Aw, come on." Cynthia pouted, but the next distraction came literally through Lucina's doorstep not even a moment later.

"How do I look like?" Kjelle asked and expanded her arms to show off her suit and west. It was of navy blue color and the west itself a light blue.

"Hmpf, didn't think I'd live to see the day where you would actually wear something else than your armor." Severa said, but her cheeks turned pink while she talked. It was rare to see Kjelle without her armor, in fact, Severa couldn't remember the last time she had seen Sully's daughter without it. It was a shame, really, because Kjelle was a beautiful woman.

"Kjelle! Why are you not wearing a dress?" Cynthia stood not a moment later next to her and examined her from all sides, checking if the suit had folds, disbelievingly tugging at it here and there.

"Why would I do that?"

"You are a bridesmaid, aren't you? Bridesmaids wear dresses, silly!" Cynthia insisted.

"We all are. And no one said anything about a uniform dress code." Kjelle explained. She looked towards Lucina. "Besides, Lucina said I could wear whatever I want as long as I attend. She doesn't care about that stuff." Maybe she expected the princess to back her up, but Lucina did not answer; she was too absorbed in her own thoughts.

"Yeah, well, but _I_ do!" Cynthia said and firmly grasped Kjelle by the arm. "And now come here, I got you a dress while we went shopping last time."

"Heck no!" Kjelle defended herself and broke away from the shorter girl's grip.

"Noire, Nah? Could you lend me a hand?" Cynthia asked. "We can't let Kjelle go like that!"

"Actually…" Nah began, with the intention of announcing that she did not plan on taking a side in this silly argument, but suddenly she stopped. She had just remembered that one time during practice where Kjelle had insisted on continuing, even though Nah had obviously struggled to catch her breath: to get her "fired up" again Kjelle had said something very offensive about Manaketes. Nah suddenly found it was the perfect time for a payback. There weren't many things that made Kjelle feel as if she was driven into a corner, or uncomfortable even, but having to put away her armor was one of those. Wearing a dress or something remotely feminine another.

Nah let go of Noire's hair and rose from her seat on Lucina's bed.

"You are absolutely right."

Noire was surprised at the sudden change of character, but looking between the two fractions she stood up too. "I-I'd actually like to see her in a dress too…"

Kjelle's eyes widened as she realized that almost all of her friends had ganged up on her. When she saw that mischievous glint in Cynthia's eyes, she knew it would be for the best if she retreated. She made a couple of steps backwards and was out of Lucina's room immediately.

Cynthia ran after her, as did Nah and lastly, in a slower pace, Noire.

Severa sighed when the door closed shut. "Thank goodness they are gone."

Lucina didn't comment on that. She stayed quiet, while one of her hands fumbled absentmindedly at the hem of her dress. She was looking into the mirror, but her gaze did not really focus on anything: Neither herself nor her friend.

This did not go by unnoticed by Severa. She was combing Lucina's hair steadily to get all the knots out before she'd pin them up. "Are you nervous?" She asked after a while.

"How did you get that idea?" Lucina answered and forced a smile as she looked at Severa's image in the mirror.

"You are trembling all over, silly." Severa only said. It didn't take much to understand that the bride would be nervous on her big day.

"Oh." Lucina hadn't even noticed.

"Are you happy-nervous or anxious-nervous?" Severa inquired. She put the comb away, while her eyes searched for the pins and accessories she would need for the next step. She had laid them out neatly on the commode in front of the mirror and when she was sure everything was there, she took Lucina's hair in her hands and started to pin it up bit by bit.

"A bit of both I guess. One does not get married every day." Lucina answered.

Severa nodded in agreement.

Lucina watched her in the mirror and remembered the last time she had sat in her room, while her best friend had done her hair. It had not been a happy occasion, since Severa had helped her get her disguise ready for her time travel to the past.

For some reason, she decided to bring this up.

"Remember when you did my hair for our travel back in time?"

"Heh, yeah…" A little smile appeared on Severa's face. "I'm glad that this time it's for a happy occasion."

Lucina wanted to nod in agreement, but Severa held her hair firmly. "Careful, or you'll ruin my work." She reprimanded her.

Lucina mumbled a little apology and grew silent again.

In the quiet, they could have sworn they heard Kjelle curse from a nearby room.

"It seems that you made your decision." Severa suddenly said.

Lucina stopped fumbling with her dress. She knew exactly what Severa was talking about. "Yes. I want to stay with my family."

"I see." Severa's voice was neutral, her gaze always on the blue hair.

"What about you? Do you know how you want to live out your life here?" Lucina asked. She knew that her friends had stayed with their families after Grima had fallen. Everyone had wanted to enjoy the peace they had fought for so hard and, just like her, catch up with their now alive parents.

But coming from the future, they knew they had to be careful to not alter too much. Except for her, no one was born up to this point in time so the danger of delaying – or even preventing – their own births was a very real one.

And she knew that most of them felt like strangers in this time line. It had been the same for her, that's why she initially had wanted to leave Ylisstol.

"Yeah." Severa said. She paused for a second before she continued her work. "We all made our minds up when we heard that you'd get married."

"So I was the trigger?" Lucina's heart grew heavy.

Severa shrugged. "Well, you've always been our leader, so yes, in a way you were. Even though we all knew in the back of our minds that we couldn't afford to stay in this limbo forever."

"I see." Lucina's expression was firm upon hearing those news. Part of her felt melancholic when she heard that her friends started making their moves after she had begun the trend. The thought of them going far away made her sad. It had been nice knowing that they had lived nearby, happily with their family as if none of the fights had ever happened – but Severa was right when she described this state as a limbo. They had spent their time at places and with people they had always and would always belong to: friends, family, homes – but in a timeframe that wasn't their own. It was a strange state of belonging and at the same time not really belonging somewhere. "What did you decide on? Will you stay? Or leave?"

"Aw, come on. You know I wouldn't be able to stay with mom forever – I always start bickering with her." Severa's gaze softened. "She'd grow tired of it and decide to not have me if I stayed."

"I don't think that's true." Lucina objected, but Severa quickly continued.

"I will go on a journey."

"Where to?"

"I don't know. Somewhere."

Lucina watched her friend in the mirror. As per usual, Severa didn't show any of her emotions and had her gaze focused on Lucina's hair.

"Will you be happy?" Lucina asked.

"I don't know. Hopefully." She smiled a crooked smile. "Will _you_ be happy?"

Lucina smiled softly back. "I hope so. Or else I wouldn't be doing this."

Severa nodded. "So, um… how exactly do you feel for Robin? Are you two getting along?"

When she had first heard the news, she had had a hunch that there had been more to the marriage than what met the eyes and indeed, Lucina had been quick to explain the true intention behind it. Severa hadn't questioned her friend's choice. She knew Lucina well enough to know that she didn't make rash decisions and she also knew Robin well enough to know that she wouldn't want to hurt Lucina. But maybe something else had resulted in the meanwhile. Severa had heard the news months ago, so who knew? She was all about the juicy details.

Lucina wanted to nod again, but Severa didn't let her. "Ow, yeah we are. I feel… content when we are together. There is no need to pretend to be someone else and we are having a lot of fun."

"Do you love her?" Severa did not beat around the bush.

Lucina's face reddened and her posture stiffened. She still didn't know how to answer. "W-well, we didn't do anything related to this yet a-and she never brought it up and…"

"Hehe." Her reaction was enough for Severa. She applied a few final hairpins to fix the bride's hair and gave her a strong clap between the shoulder blades that made Lucina swallow her own words.

"How do you like it?"

Lucina stared at the mirror for too long because she almost didn't recognize herself and turned her head to examine the hairdo from all sides. The way Severa had done her hair gave the impression that it was naturally curly. She carefully grazed the bun, almost not daring to because she feared she would mess it up with the slightest of touches.

"It's beautiful."

Severa was obviously proud. "Leave things like that to me – and now for some makeup!" She announced overly enthusiastic while she left Lucina's side.

Lucina paled a little when she heard that.

"I-is that really necessary? You've already done so much and you still haven't gotten dressed."

"Nonsense! I'm not getting dressed before I'm finished with you. You are going to be the best looking bride ever, the people will talk for months after the wedding about you." Severa was already rummaging through her cosmetic bag that had laid on Lucina's bed.

Lucina watched her with mild discomfort. Last time someone had tried to apply cosmetics on her had been Cynthia and she had almost pricked out her eye with the eyeliner back then. Granted, this was years before their parents had died, but she still wasn't too fond of the memory.

"Severa, _please_ …" She pleaded, but in the back of her mind she knew that there was no stopping her now.

"Lucina." Her friend suddenly said and stood still.

Her voice sounded off. Lucina waited for her to speak.

"Please, let me do this for you." Severa said quietly. "This may be the last opportunity for us to be like this. To talk about serious and not so serious stuff, argue about makeup and hairdos – just like ordinary friends. I don't know when – or _if_ I will return once I depart for my journey." She explained with a now stifled voice and Lucina could see how her shoulders trembled. She rose from her stool and walked over to her friend.

"Severa…" She gently touched her shoulder.

"Don't." Severa pushed her friend's arm aside and backed away, but it was too late: Lucina had already seen the tears.

Lucina watched her and it pained her to see her friend like this.

"You can always return here." She said then. "Even if you find happiness somewhere else and it will be years from now when we will see each other again, know that you will always hold a special place in my heart. You are my best friend, Severa, and I intend to keep it like that." She touched Severa's shoulder again and smiled softly.

"Lucy, you are…! You are impossible!" Severa turned around again, her eyes filled with tears. "H-how dare you make me cry with those words!"

Lucina chuckled. "Come here." She said and embraced Severa tightly. Severa returned the hug, letting the tears flow silently. "Please visit me every once in a while." Lucina requested gently.

Severa nodded wordlessly and they stayed like that for a minute before she broke the hug off.

"Now come here, you still need to get finished!" She announced with new found enthusiasm.

Lucina happily obliged this time.

* * *

Robin was nervous. Very, very nervous. Even though this marriage had been her idea and she had spent weeks planning it and Lucina had reassured her time and time again that she wouldn't back out of this, she just couldn't help it. She had fallen in love with Lucina and now actually had the luck to be able to marry her?

Even though she stood at the beginning of the aisle, nervously looking at the entrance door, it still felt like a dream. All of her married friends had assured her that it was natural to feel that way, so she tried to calm herself by taking a couple of deep breaths.

Next to her stood Chrom who observed her with a gentle smile. "You nervous?"

"You bet." Robin looked back at him and returned the smile. It was reassuring to have him by her side, even though she felt bad that he wouldn't be able to walk his own daughter to the altar. They had found a little workaround though, seeing as how there were two brides, they decided they would make the walk down the aisle together. That way, father and daughter would at least be able to walk side by side.

"Imagine how I felt, knowing that the whole kingdom had its eyes on me and Sumia."

His words weren't exactly reassuring. The mere thought of even more strangers watching them made her anxious. "Oh gods, don't make it worse. It may not be the whole country, but I bet all of Ylisstol will be waiting outside the chapel. And it's already bad enough that half of the people in here are people I don't know but had to invite anyway for political reasons."

Chrom suppressed a chuckle. "I know exactly what you mean. It was the same for me." He watched the people sitting in the rows and grinned. "You tried your best to keep as many outside as possible. I see you even invited all the children from Libra's orphanage."

"Well, of course. Libra and Lissa would both be here today anyway. Besides, Lucina really wanted little Rosemarie to be the flower girl – and since I played with them I couldn't bring it over myself to not invite them." And if she was honest, she preferred the little children over any conceited, stranger aristocrat any day.

She tried looking at the first row, which was ways away from where she stood, but she saw the future children of the shepherds, safe for Owain and Lucina, sitting at where Lucina's side of the family was supposed to sit and where all the orphans and Lissa sat. Thinking about it, the children had their fun and Lissa was able to sit at the right side of the rows without arousing any suspicions, because the rumor that Lucina had visited the orphanage from time to time to help with the orphans because she herself was also one, had spread quickly and hadn't been too far away from the truth anyway.

Most of the orphans couldn't sit still and were standing on their places to watch out for the other bride's arrival. Rosemarie stood near Robin and Chrom, bashfully holding her basket with the petals and wearing a yellowish dress. Lissa had told her that it was one of her old hand-me-downs that she herself had worn maybe twice for special occasions.

Next to Rosemarie stood Willis, whom Robin had appointed as page boy for one reason only: To get back at him from smacking her so hard with his wooden sword during their play fights. And maybe because Lucina had feared that Rosemarie would get very anxious if she was to walk alone with the couple while so many people watched.

Willis just stood there, in one of Chrom's old suits, seemingly disinterested. His sole purpose was to carry the train of her wedding dress. She had considered entrusting him with the rings too, but since she didn't want something to happen to them (on such occasions things always tended to go wrong in crucial moments) she had instead left them in the care of her best man: her trusty friend Donnel. It was strange seeing him next to Severa waiting at the front, all dressed up, in a very nice black suit with bowtie and without his signature tin pot on his head. His hair was neatly combed and he held the cushion with the rings with both his hands. He stood a little too stiff, but Robin understood his nervousness only too well.

"Roobiiiin, this is boring." Willis said. "You said there would be a party."

Seeing his pouting face made her smile.

"There will be – after the ceremony here in the chapel."

"Ugh." The boy only grunted. Rosemarie watched him with an offended expression, not believing that he didn't enjoy being part of something as big and pretty and wonderful as a wedding.

"It will be held at the castle. Don't you want to see the castle from the inside?" Robin asked.

Willis stopped his moaning and stood up straight. "Really?"

"And there will be more food than you can eat." Chrom promised.

"Awesome! Thanks, uncle!" The boy's green eyes shone with anticipation.

"U-uncle?" This address came very sudden and made Chrom feel way older than he was.

Robin laughed and Rosemarie elbowed her friend who in turn gave her an annoyed glance. She then turned to Chrom and made an apologetic bow.

"It's okay, don't worry." The child's uneasiness made him feel bad. "In a way you are Lissa's children, so… I kinda am your uncle – right?" Unsure, he turned to Robin who only grinned. She was glad that she did not have to wait all alone with all those people watching her.

When they heard the people cheer outside they knew that Lucina had arrived.

* * *

If Lucina had been nervous in the morning, then this feeling had evolved into outright anxiety by now. She fumbled again at her dress, trying not to think about what was about to happen. Even though she had been aware of the wedding at all times, the closer the real moment got the faster her heart started to beat.

"Everything alright?" Owain, who sat opposite of her inside the carriage, inquired. His blonde hair was messy as always (which made Lucina wonder how he had been able to slip away like that under her aunt's watchful eye), but he wore a suit as it was right and proper.

She tried to smile at him, but it came out a grimace. "I'm a little nervous."

Owain smirked at her. "How unusual. I don't think I've ever seen our brave and valiant leading light like that. Alas, such must it be, the melancholy woe of a young maiden before entering holy matrimony."

"Leading light?" Lucina raised an eyebrow. It had been quite a while since he had last talked in his theatrical manner. "I'm no leader anymore and honestly, I never felt much brave or valiant in our timeline." She admitted.

"But you guided us all to safety and into this time. Being able to act, despite being scared stiff is the very definition of valor!"

There he went again, gushing about heroism and courage, but it made Lucina feel as if she was talking to him under normal circumstances. Though, normal sometimes meant to her that she felt as if they were still at the base camp and bonding over their weapons. She remembered Severa's words, how everyone had made their decision for their further lives after hearing about her plans for marriage and wondered if Owain would leave on a journey too. Would he really want to leave his parents and the orphans who saw an older brother in him?

"Owain? Will you leave on a journey too?" She decided to ask.

The blond examined her, his expression pensive for a few moments. Then he smiled, rose his right hand and said: "I need to stay my sword hand or else dire things will happen."

She didn't know what she had expected, but hearing that he would leave made her sad. He and Cynthia had been the only family she had left from her time and it had been comforting to know that he had lived in the orphanage nearby. For some reason she hadn't been so emotional when Severa had told her about her plans, surely because part of her did not want to ruin the day, but hearing it from Owain too made it finally real. They were leaving. Her friends and family from the time she could truly call home.

Her sadness must have shown, because Owain moved seats so he could sit next to her.

"I'll make sure to keep you updated about all my legendary exploits." He promised.

Lucina nodded. "Please, visit me too if you can." She tried to smile, but instead she teared up which prompted him to hug her.

"I promise. And now no more tears or else Severa will chop my head off."

She laughed softly. "Yeah, she put a lot of effort into my makeup."

The carriage came to a halt and she could hear the people waiting for her. She took a deep breath and braced herself, while Owain opened the door and exited.

He smiled and made little bow while he helped her out of the carriage. She felt as if the whole world was staring at her and it was not a pleasant feeling. There were people left and right, only keeping so much distance that she and Owain could pass without problems. Some were well dressed, others in their casual clothes, but they were all smiling and cheering and trying to catch a glimpse at her. Lucina could not remember ever seeing so many people at once – the only association she had to huge crowds of people where the sizes of the enemy armies the shepherds had engaged. She clung onto her cousin's arm while he walked her proudly towards the chapel's entrance door.

"By the gods, there are so many people here…"

"It's your big day. Enjoy it." He said and smiled a way too satisfied smile. "Imagine you are a hero and they are cheering because you saved their world from destruction." It sure seemed that this was what he did.

"Um…" At least one of them loved the attention. Still, Lucina tried her best and put on a smile while she humbly raised a hand to greet the people around her. It was a strange feeling. Had her father's wedding been like that too? Even though the people didn't know she was royalty they still behaved as if she was. She was aware that this was because of Robin's connection with Chrom, but still. For a second she imagined that this was her original time – a future in which she and her friends were safe and the nation had recovered enough to celebrate.

They entered the chapel and she saw her bride-to-be, her father and Willis and Rosemarie standing at the beginning of the aisle.

Seeing them calmed her down. She glanced left and right, to see who was sitting in the rows and was relieved to perceive the familiar faces in the front rows.

The two children were adorably dressed. Rosemarie watched her with shining eyes and even Willis had his mouth agape when he looked at her.

Her father stood tall and handsome and when he saw her, a smile so bright showed on his face that it filled her with tremendous joy and pride, albeit it made her feel a little embarrassed too. She had never dared to dream about this day in her own time, but he was there, alive and well and proud. It set her heart aflutter.

And Robin, by the gods, she was so beautiful Lucina couldn't keep her eyes from her. Her dress was white, just like her own, and with a long train. She bore a veil, but had decided against it covering her face. Still, it complemented her garb nicely as it fell smoothly down her back. The dress was strapless and the lower part consisted of multiple, frilly layers while at the same time it managed to not look too pompous. Her amber eyes were shining with excitement and happiness and the reason why Lucina couldn't stop looking at her.

Owain nudged her which made her snap out of her reverie and they slowly moved next to Robin and Chrom to stand beside them.

Robin smiled with rose colored lips. "You look beautiful." She whispered into Lucina's ear.

"So do you." Lucina truthfully replied. They smiled at each other and linked their arms with their respective male escort.

"Are you ready?" Robin asked.

Lucina took a deep breath. From the moment she had accepted the proposal she knew what she had agreed to and did not think even once about backing out. She had thought about her parents and the life she would be able to have with them and found it was worth more than anything, even though lately she was not sure if they were the _sole_ reason for her want to marry. She looked at Robin again and her heart started to beat faster.

While she was ready, she did not really _feel_ so. She was nervous and anxious and she really, really hated how there were so many strangers looking at her right now.

"Yes, even though I don't really feel like I am."

The other bride chuckled lightly. "I know exactly what you are talking about."

The music started to play and together the two pairs made their way down the aisle.

Lucina put her utmost effort into concentrating on walking in a straight line. It suddenly seemed so difficult with all those eyes focusing on her. She stared straight ahead, where Libra was waiting for them at the altar. She could see him smiling encouragingly at her and was glad that a familiar face would join them in matrimony.

"Nervous?" She heard her father whisper beside her. He was close, walking on her left and stole glances at his daughter whenever he could.

"Yes." She whispered back.

He smiled. "I was just the same back then. Really wished I wasn't the Exalt in that moment." He chuckled at the memory. "You look beautiful today. It makes me very proud."

She felt the warmth and love in his words and couldn't help but smile. While she wasn't able to touch him in this very moment he was still as close as he could be and knowing the circumstances, Lucina appreciated every inch that was not between them. It was not perfect, but they did get pretty close to it.

When they stood before Libra and he started to speak, the music stopped so everyone could listen to his words.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here on this beautiful day to witness the union of and in holy matrimony." He began.

Robin and Lucina listened quietly as he greeted the guests. They had gone through the procedure a couple of times for practice, so Lucina allowed herself to glance around and saw little Rosemarie and Willis who both stood now next to their best man Donnel and the appointed maid of honor Severa. When Severa caught Lucina's gaze she winked at her which in turn made her smile and relax a bit. It was always reassuring to know that she had many people close to her in this moment. Now that she saw Severa in her voguish red dress she regretted not looking around and see what her other friends had worn to the occasion. Lucina made a mental note to catch up on that later on during the reception.

Robin took a deep breath while she tried to stay focused. So far everything had gone smoothly, which seemed to her like a miracle considering how nervous she was. She hadn't been able to sleep well the night because of that and she had been horrified upon seeing the dark rings under her eyes when she had awoken today, but luckily Tiki had been able to conceal them perfectly. Manaketes sure had a lot of life hacks up their sleeves, Robin had learned today.

She glanced towards Lucina, careful not to move her head too much because she feared that the slightest uncalculated move would mess something up. In the back of her mind she knew that this was a childish fear, but she couldn't help it. And feeling like she had completely forgotten something did not help either.  
Her heart was still beating at a staggering rate. It had been like that from the moment she had gone to bed yesterday and had seemed to only increase when she had entered the chapel and walked down the aisle. Lucina was looking at Libra, even smiled for a second. She seemed so much calmer than how Robin felt in the moment, it made her wonder how she was able to do that.

"…and the sacred vows that you make to one another today present you with the opportunity to express your love in your own words." When Lucina heard these words she started to grow nervous again. Soon she would have to say the vows she had thought upon such a little while ago. Would they be enough to convince a whole nation that they were in love? What would Robin think about them? No, she shouldn't concern herself with this. She chose genuine and true words. It was fine.

"I would at this time invite you to publically declare these vows." Libra said and looked at Robin. "Robin, you may begin."

Robin nodded and took a deep breath. Oh boy, was she nervous. She turned to Lucina and took her hands in hers and gulped. This was it. Soon, they'd be officially a couple. Looking into Lucina's bright blue eyes made her almost forget the words she was about to say, but strangely enough they were a source of comfort at the same time, too. For just this split moment it felt as if time had come to a standstill. Everything would be alright.

 _I want to be able to look forever into those eyes._

"Lucina, true to your name you brought light into the darkest moments of my life. You have had my back countless times and supported me when I needed you most." She grinned a bit while saying this line, because it referred to their countless battles together, but she knew that those words carried also a different, romantic connotation for those who weren't aware of their past. "With these words, I vow to be the light of your life, as you have been for mine, to support you in sickness and in health, during the good times and the bad and – above all – I vow to make you happy by whatever means possible." She squeezed their hands a little tighter.

Lucina barely had the time to think about the words spoken, as Libra asked her immediately afterwards to declare her own, but there was one thing she noticed: Robin hadn't gone and dramatically declared her eternal love in front of everyone – as Lucina had assumed she would, so that their devotion and relationship would not be questioned by anyone. Instead she had chosen true words, humble and genuine ones. Promises she could and would keep. It was something Lucina hadn't expected her to do – and she had never brought it up, because this was an arranged marriage after all which served a certain purpose. Robin's words had taken a burden from her she didn't know she had carried.

 _You don't know how happy you already made me._

Her eyes teared up as she prepared to speak:

"I…" She gulped and tried to inhale deeply to compose herself. She felt how the grip on her hands strengthened and looked down at them and then back into her fiancée's reassuring smiling face. Feeling Robin's warmth calmed her down. Lucina smiled back. This was not the first time, she thought, as she remembered the night Robin had spent in her room not too long ago. She began her words anew:

"I take you to be my companion in this life and promise above all else to live in truth with you, to communicate fully and fearlessly as I offer to you my hand and heart as a sanctuary of warmth and peace. With these words I pledge to you my faith, my honor and my devotion as I join my life to yours."

"Under the eyes of Naga, Robin, do you take Lucina to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to honor her, to be sensitive to her needs, to comfort her in difficulty and to put your full and complete trust in her, so long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Robin promised with a proud smile.

Libra turned to Lucina and repeated his words, which she answered with "I do" as well.

"To commemorate this union, you may now exchange rings. Let these rings remind you of each other's love and of the promises you have made here on this day." The blond man then turned to Donnel, to signal him that it was his turn now.

Donnel was frozen with nervousness and did not even notice, but luckily he had Severa by his side who gave him a subtle nudge to remind him where he was and what was going on. He looked at her and she stared back menacingly while her mouth formed the words "come on".

The realization hit him then and he walked over to the couple, almost tripping over his own feet when he made the first step and muttered an almost inaudible "by golly" when he made it unharmed.

Robin suppressed a chuckle and smiled reassuringly at him. He smiled nervously back, his face all red.

Robin took the ring with the sapphire attached to it and repeated after Libra: "I, Robin, give you this ring as a symbol of my love and commitment. With this ring, I thee wed." Carefully, she placed the ring on Lucina's right ring finger. They had spent so much time together since they had bought them that their trip to the jeweler seemed like it had been a century ago. Here, in this moment, she was convinced that they would live their lives together happily. They had done so before this day and they would continue to do so. And however Lucina felt for her, she had put into most beautiful words how far she was willing to take their relationship. Her vow had sounded like a poem, full of simple, but oh so strong and honest promises.

It was Lucina's turn then to place the ring she had chosen for Robin on her right ring finger. She took the little gold dragon and examined the diamond in his fangs with a smile. As a tactician and soldier Robin had always been powerful and bright; back then when they had bought the rings and had ordered the gemstones to be customized the diamond had seemed the obvious choice. "I, Lucina, give you this ring as a symbol of my love and commitment. With this ring, I thee wed." The gemstone was strong, unbreakable and brilliant – just like her. No other stone had seemed worthy back then to represent Robin and Lucina found that this was the case even more so today. Bright and beautiful she was and Lucina considered herself lucky to have her as bride.

"By the power vested in me by our beloved goddess Naga I now pronounce you wife and wife."

It was done now. Robin and Lucina allowed themselves to exhale. They held each other's hands tightly and smiled relieved at each other, hearts still pounding fast.

Then Libra continued, which set Robin into a mild panic. "You may now kiss the bride, forever sealing your union."

Robin stiffened. So _that_ was this one thing she had completely forgotten about. She had spent so much time thinking about the wedding, preparing for it and even more time dreaming about how it would feel should Lucina ever reciprocate her feelings – but she had forgotten the most obvious part. Shyly she looked at Lucina who had blushed and seemed equally awkward about the thought, but there was no going back now.

Robin leaned close, carefully and slowly, not sure if Lucina would consent to the kiss. She had always tried to not step over any personal boundaries during their engagement and to not take advantage of the fact that they were officially in a relationship ("It would be totally normal to kiss every once in a while, since we are a couple."). Not that they had much of a choice now.

"It's alright." The princess whispered when their lips were only an inch apart. Robin felt her face grow hot. To just be able to kiss her freely… it still seemed too good to be true. Surely, today would be the only opportunity to do so.

To Robin's surprise, it was Lucina herself who closed the space between them and sealed their lips.

She barely heard the following cheers of the people.

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ The story is coming to a close. Depending on the length of the reception (which is the focus of the next chapter) it will be only one or two chapters left. I won't be updating regulary anymore since I don't have the next parts written ahead and I need to study for the most important oral examination of my major (which, of course, is a significant part of my final grade). I will also go on a trip to Australia starting on November 6th which will last until 22nd January and I wanted to take the exam before that. I will try to update before my trip again, but I can't promise it. Not only because of my studies, but also because my mental health issues rob me of my motivation for both (all) things often times.

To anyone wondering why I made Donnel the best man: It's a tribute to my game file bc he was the character I S-ranked my avatar with. Planning this whole thing out was quite fun - initially I had one best man for each bride (and Chrom being Robin's), then I thought it unneccessary. Before I introduced Rosemarie I was thinking of making Nowi the flower girl (which would have been hilarious). I used a Christian wedding script, mostly because that's what I'm familiar with, but also because Ylisse struck me as middle-european based country.  
I'm still taking suggestions for character interactions for the next chapter!

That was all - hopefully you will hear from me before November 6th :)


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